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Puerto Rico senators press for lifeguards and funding after seven drownings at Condado beach
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Summary
Senators demanded immediate lifeguard coverage and new funding after witnesses and DRNA officials told a Senate hearing that only a small fraction of maritime vigilantes are trained for open-water rescue and that DRNA needs additional resources — roughly $500,000, officials said — to staff lifeguards at Condado.
Senator (Chair) told a Senate committee investigating Resolution 176 that seven people have drowned at Condado beach since November, and he pressed the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (DRNA) to place trained lifeguards there immediately.
DRNA representatives said the agency can recruit and train lifeguards but lacks the necessary funds. "Estamos evaluando esa posibilidad… necesitaríamos una asignación de fondos para eso, como de medio millón de dólares," Samuel Acosta said, summarizing the department's estimate for a staffing and operations package. Acosta and Gerardo Hernández, the parks-program subsecretary representing DRNA, said the department has training capacity and can expand the lifeguard roster if funding is approved.
Why it matters: Condado is a high-traffic tourist area near major hotels. Senators argued the beach functions de facto as a recreational beach but lacks the balneario infrastructure and permanent lifeguard presence that DRNA assigns to formally designated balnearios. Lawmakers framed the issue as urgent public-safety and tourism-policy priorities.
At the hearing, Aidévin Rumba, commissioner of the vigilante corps, told senators the corps patrols the coast from Dorado to Loíza but that of roughly "doscientos setenta" vigilantes only about "veinte" are trained for open-water aquatic rescue. Rumba said sea conditions sometimes prevent boats from operating and that not all patrols can perform rescues in open water.
Senators repeatedly pressed that limited training and sporadic maritime patrols are insufficient: the chair said he would "hacer una convocatoria para personas capacitadas" to staff Condado immediately and asked DRNA to provide options for placing "tres empleados" in the short term to protect bathers. Committee members also pressed DRNA to identify budget lines and near-term funding pathways for the $500,000 estimate Acosta cited.
Hotel industry role: Claritza Jiménez, president of the Puerto Rico Hotel and Tourism Association, told the committee hotels generally maintain internal protocols and brief guests each morning about sea conditions, and the association offered to coordinate trainings and public-information efforts with DRNA and other agencies. Jiménez also flagged the growth of short-term rentals (platforms such as Airbnb) that she said are not consistently regulated and therefore harder to reach with safety messaging.
Senators asked whether any formal agreement already exists between tourism companies and DRNA to place lifeguards; DRNA and witnesses told the panel they had no knowledge of an existing private-sector lifeguard agreement for Condado.
What’s next: Committee members asked staff to schedule follow-up meetings and a more detailed briefing on staffing options. The hearing ended with senators saying they will continue pressing for immediate placements and further interagency coordination rather than relying solely on long-term engineering projects.
Ending: The committee closed the public hearing and left an open schedule for follow-up work to secure funding, recruit trained lifeguards and clarify responsibilities among DRNA, tourism actors and municipal or police resources.
