Taipei: Taiwan’s Coast Guard Administration (CGA) is urging beachgoers to check real-time conditions on the “Go Ocean” mobile app following a recent string of drowning incidents as summer weather draws more people to the coast. The warning comes after a high school student drowned off the coast of Fangliao Township in Pingtung on Sunday, one of several recent fatal or near-fatal accidents linked to dangerous ocean conditions, the CGA said in a press release Monday.

According to Focus Taiwan, on May 24, 31 students from National Taiwan Ocean University were thrown overboard during a canoe training session in Keelung, while on May 30, a wave swept three foreign nationals out to sea in New Taipei’s Gongliao District, killing one. In each of these cases, the Go Ocean app had issued red alerts, warning of unsafe conditions. Developed by the National Academy of Marine Research, the app uses color-coded alerts and combines data from various sources to display wave, wind, and current conditions.

An English-language
version of the Go Ocean app is available, making it accessible to a broader audience. The CGA also plans to boost staff and lifesaving equipment at popular water activity spots to enhance safety measures. In emergencies, the public is encouraged to call 118.