Cases of Lost Children on Bulgarian Beaches Are Increasing

Cases of lost children on the beaches are on the rise. At the height of the summer season, when the shorelines are crowded, just seconds of parental inattention can lead to lengthy search operations for missing youngsters. The beach in Kraimorie, near Burgas, has set an unfortunate record — five lost children in a single day.

"Attention, all posts. A child of around three years old has been found," comes the announcement over the radio.

Lost children have become an almost daily occurrence on the beach at Kraimorie.

Nikolay Dimitrov, beach concessionaire in Kraimorie: "During the week it’s usually one or two children. Yesterday it was only one. But on Saturdays and Sundays, the number is higher — between two and three."

If left out of sight for even a few minutes, small children can quickly lose their bearings and begin wandering between umbrellas and sun loungers.

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Vasil Alexiev, senior lifeguard: "Often, holidaymakers find a child, take it by the hand, and bring it to the lifeguards, saying, ‘We found a child crying here.’ One of the lifeguards will then take the child and walk along the shoreline, hoping a parent recognises them. There have been times when we’ve walked the entire beach, only for the parents to recognise their child on the way back."

Some parents say they are now more alert.

Ralitsa Tsvetkova: "We didn’t know so many children were getting lost. We will be extra careful."

Mariyana Ilieva: "They’re twins. One is calmer, the other is very mischievous. I’m always with him and close by."

In one recent case, a child managed to walk more than 300 metres before being found by holidaymakers.

Nikolay Dimitrov: "I radioed all the posts with a description of the child. The father, who was on his way back from the toilet, heard the announcement, decided to check on his child, and then realised the child was missing."

Reports of lost children have also come from the beaches of Pomorie and Sunny Beach.

Vassil Alexiev, senior lifeguard: "The latest case was just yesterday — the father, with alcohol in hand, was in the water with his child, who had a swim ring, on a yellow-flag day. We whistled to him, but he couldn’t get out; he was pulling the child, half-submerged in the water… Completely irresponsible behaviour. Children are often the most at risk, both in the water and on the shore. On guarded beaches, we can help them, but I can only imagine what happens on unguarded ones. We even had a case where we were searching for a child, and the father walked right past them without recognising them — from the stress — until on the way back we realised it was his child."