US warns about swimming at beaches in El Salvador

SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador (AP) — The U.S. Embassy in El Salvador is warning against swimming off that country’s Pacific coast beaches, citing a high number of deaths. The embassy said Monday that “in 2021, an elevated number of U.S. citizens (and persons of other nationalities) have lost their lives due to rip currents and other dangerous conditions” at El Salvador’s beaches. The warning cites “strong undertows and currents” that make swimming “extremely dangerous.” It says lifeguards are not always present at beaches in El Salvador and notes that the country’s search and rescue capabilities “are limited” while access to medical resources is often “inadequate.”