Toulouse: at Lac de la Ramée, they bathe despite the bacteria
Since July 14, the supervised bathing area La Ramée plage has been closed. In question, a toxic algae. But this Saturday, swimmers defy the ban.
Swimming in the Lac de la Ramée is prohibited. All year. Except during the Ramée beach period, this supervised space, which opened on July 9. Five days later, on the 14th, the water samples taken by the Regional Health Agency (ARS) closed it. A bacterium that can cause vomiting, skin rashes and rashes has been detected.
38° in the shade, “it’s too hot not to enjoy it”
This Saturday 16, it is 38°C in the shade. The main car park at the leisure base is sparse. The warmth is welcoming. The grass on the foot pitches is scorched by the sun. Each little corner of shade is used by families, friends, couples who have come to enjoy the lake.
In the water, 17-year-old Esteban and his friends “know well” that swimming is prohibited. “We’ve been told this again, but it’s too hot, the water isn’t green, it’s fine, we’re careful, we don’t drink it”. Next door, other, younger children bathe with their mother. On the edge of the water, Hakim prevents his children from going there.
“They are four and eight years old, it’s too young. We never know. It’s still a toxic algae, and I know that a child was poisoned on Wednesday, before the guarded area closed. He was vomiting.” While walking along the lake, going towards the golf course, other bathers could not resist the call of the freshness.
In August 2021, the closure had lasted a week…
“I usually swim across the lake and come back, widthwise,” explains Amélie. I put on glasses, a cap, and there’s no problem. “On the shores of the lake, the red signs “Swimming prohibited” do nothing. No supervisor or municipal policeman in sight, the bathers return there.
In August 2021, the closure due to the same bacteria lasted a week. This year again, with the prolonged heat, the bacteria should persist. You will have to be patient, or choose another lake to cool off…