A lifeguard post on the public beach of Ramlet al-Baida, on July 21, 2025, in Beirut. (Credit: Lilia Geha/L’Orient-Le Jour)
With a whistle hanging from his neck, Hussein Ismail and his three fellow lifeguards keep watch over the swimmers at Ramlet al-Baida, Beirut's only remaining public sandy beach. "We’ve been here since mid-May and will stay until the end of the summer," he says. "Our role is to ensure the swimmer's safety... but also to make sure no issues arise between visitors."Drowning incidents are not uncommon on Lebanon’s coasts and are even more frequent when the sea is rough. "From my experience, they happen most often due to a lack of parental attention or a shortage of lifeguards," says Georges Khoury, a private-sector lifeguard for 38 years. In Jbeil, one of the lifeguards stationed at Eddé Sands resort says he prevented about seven drownings from happening last week alone.About 20 people have drowned in...
With a whistle hanging from his neck, Hussein Ismail and his three fellow lifeguards keep watch over the swimmers at Ramlet al-Baida, Beirut's only remaining public sandy beach. "We’ve been here since mid-May and will stay until the end of the summer," he says. "Our role is to ensure the swimmer's safety... but also to make sure no issues arise between visitors."Drowning incidents are not uncommon on Lebanon’s coasts and are even more frequent when the sea is rough. "From my experience, they happen most often due to a lack of parental attention or a shortage of lifeguards," says Georges Khoury, a private-sector lifeguard for 38 years. In Jbeil, one of the lifeguards stationed at Eddé Sands resort says he prevented about seven drownings from happening last week alone.About 20 people have drowned...
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