Beach restrictions had been relaxed in Quepos on Saturday, when American Amiri Aarash (79) and his Costa Rican companion Betzi Jimenez (39) decided to return to the ocean together to celebrate the weekend. Neither of them made it out alive. Once again, the notorious riptides at Playa Linda, Matapalo Quepos swept another pair of swimmers to their deaths.

A passerby by the last name of Quiros reported hearing a man calling for help at about midday on Saturday. He rushed down the beach to assist, but by the time he arrived near Aarash, Jimenez had already disappeared under the surf, and Aarash followed quickly. A boat was sent out to look for the pair, and after twenty minutes, the couple was found deceased.

It might surprise some that the leading cause of death for Americans in Costa Rica is not murder, or kidnap, or terrorism – but drowning. TIME Magazine reported in 2016 that Costa Rica followed only Mexico for number of accidental drownings, with Mexico having 355 as compared with Costa Rica’s 101. Mexico, of course, has many more American tourists, causing TIME to declare, “On a per visitor basis, Costa Rican waters are much more dangerous than Mexico’s.”

In 2018, Costa Rica saw 129 people drown, 51 of them in the ocean. To mitigate this tragic number, Costa Rica is making a $500,000 investment between the years 2020-2022 to establish lifeguard programs. Costa Rica currently has no law requiring lifeguards on beaches. Tourists are often unaware that they ocean swim entirely at their own risk. According to the Tourist Board, more than 70% of tourists visit a beach while visiting Costa Rica.

The US State Department confirms that more Americans die of drowning in Costa Rica than from any other reason, with suicide and traffic accidents following as causes of death. Americans visiting the country in pursuit of a carefree Pura Vida experience are often unaware of the risks they are taking when diving into the surf with no lifeguards watching.
As COVID beach restrictions continue to loosen up, Americans are reminded to ask at their hotels or their tour guides if the beaches they are visiting are safe for swimming. Costa Rica has beaches for every taste, and every level of swimming strength. The locals are always aware of the risk at a given beach, and can suggest another swimming spot if one is needed.

Playa Linda has a reputation as a dangerous beach due to strong currents and riptides. On Saturday it once again proved itself to be dangerous. A third swimmer was pulled from the ocean on Saturday, and taken to the hospital. His condition is unknown.
Quepos mourns the loss of Betzi Jimenez and Amiri Aarash, a couple who took their last swim together on Saturday. May they rest in peace

About the Author :