Cancún, Quintana Roo — The drowning death of a British tourist at Playa San Miguelito has exposed what residents and visitors describe as a critical gap in lifeguard coverage at one of Cancun’s most frequented beaches.
Nazmi Selimi, 60, from England, died after being pulled unconscious from the water on Friday, July 17. According to initial reports, Selimi entered the sea with his two sons when strong currents swept them away in an area where a red flag warned of dangerous conditions. The two young men were rescued alive, but Selimi could not be revived despite resuscitation efforts.
Witnesses and family members have alleged a delay in the initial emergency response. They claim that lifeguards operating in the vicinity belong to nearby hotels and provide assistance only to their own guests, leaving other beachgoers without immediate help. The tragedy has sparked calls for a review of aquatic safety protocols at the beach, which sits in the heart of the hotel zone, just steps from the state government building.
Local civil protection authorities have stated that their lifeguards regularly conduct water rescues and that public beaches are monitored. However, no official clarification has been provided on whether a permanent lifeguard service exists at Playa San Miguelito, how many lifeguards were on duty at the time of the incident, or the exact response time from the initial distress call to the rescue.
As of Sunday, municipal, state, and federal authorities had not announced any investigation into the alleged delay or a review of the beach’s safety measures.
