PHILIPSBURG:--- Nature Foundation divers placed a white marker Buoy with information warning swimmers away from an area on Simpson Bay beach close to Karakter beach bar. Many swimmers were injured, some seriously, when they cut themselves on an underwater object right in the surf zone as they were bathing in the area. The Nature Foundation was contacted by Member of Parliament the Honorable Maurice Lake as well as the owners of Karakter Beach Bar and residents of Simpson Bay regarding the incident. “We dove the area in order to see exactly what it was that was causing cuts, some quite deep, to swimmers in the area. During the survey we found what appeared to be a steel wreck half buried under the sand very close to shore. We tied a marker buoy on the sight warning swimmers away from the area because of how dangerous the metal pieces were underwater. Apparently the object belongs to the Golden Fleece, a yacht that broke its anchor in Simpson Bay and washed ashore many years ago,” commented Tadzio Bervoets from the Nature Foundation. The Nature Foundation has been in discussions with the Harbor, the VROMI Ministry and Marine Salvage Company Aquatic Solutions on the possible removal of the object. The public is urged to heed the warning sign and to not swim in the area.
