The heavy rains this weekend caused a large landslide at kilometer 33 on route 32 (between San Jose and Guápiles) and fell onto a car driving through at the time.

The car was pushed off the road and into a ravine, some 90 meters deep. The driver, a 50 year old man, was taken to hospital in San Jose but seems to have miraculously suffered only minor injuries.

The accident happened at 6:32pm last night and the road remains closed today so drivers are advised to take the alternative route.

More: La Nación: Derrumbe bloquea paso por vía hacia Guápiles desde anoche

A slide on Sunday once again closed route 32 between Limon and Guapiles.

The slide had closed the road at km 22. The debris field from the slide was 6 meters high and 50 meters wide and took several days to clear with the work being slowed down by the rain.

Route 32 is the main route between San Jose and the Caribbean Coast. When it is closed, travelers need to take route 10 via Turrialba. That route however is slow and windy and adds at least an hour to the trip.

Travelers should call 800-TRANSITO, option #1, option #4 (in Spanish) for the latest road information.

Transport officials are also recommending the people do not drive route 32 at night, especially when it is raining.

The lifeguard who performed the rescue at Cocles of Bonnie W.

“I was swimming when, suddenly, I realized I was very far away from the beach,” Bonnie said. “I tried to swim back to shore but I seemed to be stuck. I could feel myself getting sucked back further and further away from the shore. I started to panic.”

Bonnie was caught in a rip current — a powerful, narrow current of water that flows rapidly away from the shore, often at speeds in excess of 5 miles-per-hour (8 kilometers-per-hour). It is estimated that rip currents are responsible for about 80% of ocean drowning.

While a rip current often measures 200 feet (62 meters) to 2,500 feet (762 meters) in length, they are typically less than 30 feet (9 meters) wide. As a result, a person can often escape one by remaining calm and swimming parallel to the beach until the current loses strength. Once out of the rip current, they can then swim towards shore. However, many tourists unfamiliar with rip currents panic, and risk become exhausted and drowning.

“Had the lifeguard not been there, I could have drowned,” Bonny said. “I am so grateful to the lifeguard and the Playa Cocles Lifeguard Program.”

This sign explains how the flag system works to alert you to ocean conditions. A red flag indicates that it is too dangerous, stay out of the water. A yellow flag indicates that you should not go in above waist level. A green flag indicates safe swimming.  Note that the blue flags seen on some beaches are an indication that the beach has been certified under Costa Rica’s “Bandera Azul” program for excellent water quality and beach cleanliness. It does not indicate ocean conditions.

Cocles Beach is the only lifeguard-patrolled beach on Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast. Managed by volunteers, the program receives no government funding and relies on donations from local businesses, residents and tourists. That funding is often in short supply and the program has been temporarily suspended in the past when it was unable to raise the money needed to pay the lifeguards, who are paid ₡11,000 per day (approximately US$22).

The minimum monthly bill for running Playa Cocles Lifeguard Program is ₡660,000 (approximately US$1,320), which pays for two lifeguards a day. Its lifeguards have rescued more than 1,500 swimmers at Cocles beach since the service began.

Every donation helps – please support the Playa Cocles Lifeguard Program by making a donation (PayPal accepted). Local business owners in Puerto Viejo can also sign up to provide regular monthly support for the program. For more information, please email Eddie Ryan at La Costa de Papito.  More information is available on the Cocles Lifeguard Program website.

Tips:

• Avoid rip currents by always swimming between the red and yellow flags.
• Do not swim alone. Have someone on the beach looking out for you.
• Avoid beaches that are not attended by lifeguards.
• If you find yourself caught in a rip current, stay calm. Conserve your energy by floating or treading water.
• Don’t fight the current by trying to swim back to shore directly against the rip – you could become exhausted and drown. Instead, try to swim parallel to the beach. Once you are out of the current, swim towards shore.
• If you cannot escape the rip, draw attention to yourself: face the shore, wave your arms and yell for help.
• If you see someone who is caught in a rip current, alert a lifeguard. If there is no lifeguard, throw them a floatation device or surf board. Do not go in after them!

Heavy rains have caused a landslide on route 32 which is the main highway connecting San José with Limon and the road remains closed. The slide happened at km 31, 10 km east of the Zurquí tunnel on Saturday at 3:30pm.

Witnesses at first thought they thought a car may have trapped in the slide. But searchers from the fire department and red cross have not found any sign that anyone was trapped.

Until the slide is cleared, motorists and buses will have to take route 10 via Turrialba.  However that route is very narrow and very windy so extra time and caution is required. It typically adds at least 1 1/2 hours to the bus journey to the Caribbean.

Transportation officials from the MOPT said they are hoping to have an estimate on the reopening soon but that continued rain and fog is hampering the effort of clearing the slide.

More: La Nación: Derrumbe impide paso hacia Guápiles

A fire at the ICE Telephone Company building in Limon on Tuesday night left thousands of Caribbean residents without phone, internet and cellular services.  ICE said services were restored by 3pm Wednesday but some reported continuing problems after this.

The fire took out landline, internet and users on the old cellular network. While the GSM cellular network was not affected it was overburdened and often not available either.

The agency flew in new equipment and worked first on restoring 9-1-1 emergency services.

More: Tico Times: Telecommunication blackout paralyzes Limón, La Nación: Incendio en agencia colapsó telecomunicaciones en Limón

The earthquake was reported to be of magnitude 6.1 on the Richter scale and the epicenter was 30km southwest of Quepos in the Pacific Ocean.

While the earthquake was felt in many places in Costa Rica including the Caribbean Coast there are no reports of injuries or significant damage.

More: La Nación: ‘Ojalá todos estén bien’, dice Laura Chinchilla tras sismo de 6,1 grados

Costa Rica is by no means exempt from quakes, with a number of fault lines criss-crossing the country and a history of earthquakes. Although as the experience in Chile has shown, a country with experience dealing with earthquakes is likely to fare much better than one where it is a rare event.

The Caribbean Coast could be particularly vulnerable. Not because it is on a particular fault line but because the connections to the rest of Costa Rica are so tenuous. There are many bridges to fail that could cut the South Caribbean off from Limon and the rest of the country, leaving residents and tourists trapped here and needing to provide for themselves possibly for many days.  The coastal location also means that Tsunami are a threat.

In April 1991, a massive earthquake struck Costa Rica and Steve Casimiro who was in Puerto Viejo at the time has just written a haunting and very informative first person account of the quake and surviving the days after at The Adventure Life.

There are many informative guides online about what one should do to survive an earthquake such as this one at Geology.com.  And it starts with being prepared now. Having basic supplies on hand and knowing what to do when the quake hits.

So many in the local community have been profoundly touched by the pictures coming out of Port-au-Prince, knowing that it could’ve just as easily been San Jose or some other part of Costa Rica.

The department of immigration puts the official Haitian population of Costa Rica at only 215 residents but the actual number is probably much higher. Many of them work as mobile vendors in San José.  Those interviewed on Teletica last night were anxiously waiting news from home as to whether their families were okay.

A number of local businesses we spoke to have already sent donations:

• Puerto Viejo Satellite $100
• Gecko Trail Adventures $200

Donations within Costa Rica can be sent to the Banco de Costa Rica or Banco Nacional accounts set up for this. International organizations which are collecting donations include Doctors without Borders who have worked extensively in Haiti for many years (Their US, Canadian and other national offices all accept online donations) and and the International Red Cross.

The victims were identified as Humberto Traña Medrano and Guillermo Quesada.   They were apparently best friends who worked together at a local restaurant and played on a soccer team together.

They were leaving work to return home and change clothes when they came around a corner and encountered a slow moving vehicle. In trying to avoid hitting the vehicle they hit the post instead. According to the Red Cross, they were both instantly killed.

The accident happened 200 meters south of the entrance of town, in front of Abastecedor El Cruce.

More: La Nación: Motociclistas mueren al chocar contra un poste

Cocles Beach is the only lifeguard patrolled beach on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica, a venture paid for by local hotels and businesses.

Yet witnesses to the drowning yesterday said that while onlookers tried to resuscitate the victim, the guard continued working on craft projects in his tower and did not attempt to help.

Local surf conditions can be rather unpredictable, especially for tourists used to much calmer waters. This incident is another reminder to follow water safety rules.

The Talamanca News would welcome more information and comments on this incident, especially from those who may have witnessed it first hand.

Update: Further information was supplied by Eddie Ryan of La Costa de Papito hotel, which has been one of the steadfast supporters of the lifeguard program from the beginning.  Ryan sadly confirmed that indeed a man died on Thursday on Cocles beach. But that essentially he did not drown but after eating a heavy lunch and drinking a few beers shortly before, either choked on the food or had a heart attack. He was in waist deep water and never screamed or made any gestures to indicate distress. His wife was seated on the beach near the shoreline and didn’t see what happened. Someone noticed he was floating and the lifeguard and a few other people dragged him out of the water and the lifeguard tried to resuscitate him to no avail.

Ryan said that while he was not there during the incident, he talked with different people about what had happened when he got to the beach.

Ryan also noted that the lifeguard program is operating at half speed for the last two weeks with only one lifeguard on duty instead of two because of insufficient funds. This will continue for at least 4 more weeks taking us into times of rough seas and dangerous currents compared with the flat sea conditions recently. With one lifeguard on duty only prevention service with flags and a whistle is offered because it is necessary to have two lifeguards on duty to safely perform a rescue.

If you would like to make a donation towards supporting the lifeguard service, you can do so using a credit card on the Puerto Viejo Satellite donation page.  Puerto Viejo Satellite will cover the credit card processing costs so that 100% of your donation will get to the program.  Local business owners who do not already support the program are encouraged to pledge ongoing support and can contact Eddie Ryan at La Costa de Papito.