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Guernsey Harbours has urged users of the La Vallette bathing pools to "use common sense" when considering going in the water.
This is particularly important at high tide, when sea conditions can cause increased waves and swell that may come into the pools, it said.
The pools fill directly from the sea at high tide and the height of the walls allow a certain amount of water to remain in the pool as the tide lowers. The walls also stop an excess of seaweed or sea creatures finding their way into the pools.
There are warning signs to alert pool users of the increased risk at high tide. CCTV cameras also monitor the area so that the emergency services can respond quickly if an incident occurs.
Guernsey's Harbourmaster, Captain David Barker, [pictured] said the pools were a fantastic asset to the island, particularly in the current weather, however they wanted to ensure they were used safely without the risk of injury.
"At high tide, the pools effectively become part of the open sea, affected by the same waves and currents, and the water conditions can change quite suddenly. This can also be affected by the wake from passing ships, although changing the southerly shipping routes into and out of St Peter Port harbour has been effective in keeping this to a minimum," he said.
“The Chief Inspector of Marine Accidents report into an alleged marine incident in this area last year highlighted the potential dangers of the site at high tide. This is especially relevant when a large number of vessels are using the Little Russell channel.”
Captain Barker added that while the pools were "perfectly safe" most of the time, they could suddenly become dangerous, especially when ships were passing by.
He urged any users to think about what they were doing and to heed their advice.
The incident referred to involved a number of young people who were injured and frightened when the swell in the pools overcame them.
More recently a broken bottle was found partially submerged at the shallow end of the horseshoe pool leading to calls for anyone using the area to take their litter home with them as well as a reminder that the area is an "alcohol free zone" so no wine bottles should be taken there.
The whole area was subject to a community initiative to repair and revamp in in the last few years with the La Vallette Project succeeding in fixing some of the damaged facilities and brightening the promenade and pools up for the use of locals and visitors.
Pictured top: La Vallette bathing pools
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