Titou Gorge safe but precautions must be taken, say people in-the-know

According to those familiar with the Titou Gorge, it is a safe place to swim if necessary precautions are taken.

The tourist attraction was thrust into the spotlight on Easter Monday when well-known photographer, entrepreneur, and media personality, Elias Dupuis died following an alleged drowning incident while swimming at the famous site in Laudat.

Since then many people have taken to social media to discuss the matter with some going as far as saying swimming should be banned there because it is unsafe.

Dominica News Online spoke to several people who are familiar with the Titou Gorge. They preferred to remain 8anonymous but there was a consensus that it is safe to swim in the Titou Gorge as long as safety precautions are taken seriously.

“It’s very safe with a life jacket on,” an individual with 13 years of experience at the gorge said.

“You must have a life jacket. It is mandatory. There are two signs telling you that life jackets must be worn.”

He stated that although there are undercurrents inside the gorge itself and fluctuations in the river’s force, as long as visitors abide by the rules, they should not have any problems.

“There are two signs telling you that life jackets must be worn, life jackets are mandatory,” he remarked.///

However, he said there is an issue with many locals who visit the Titou Gorge.

“People don’t like to abide by the rules in the country,” he said. When people come they like to say they are from Dominica, they raise up by the river, they say this and they say that and they just go into the river to swim and in many cases, people have to jump in to save them.”

Another person, who is a lifeguard at the spot agreed that the Titou Gorge is safe to swim in.

“It is one of the safest places in Dominica,” he remarked, adding there are certified lifeguards always present in the area.

He said it is a rule that no one enters the gorge without a life jacket but there are many, such as Dominicans and visitors from the French islands, who have a tendency to break the rules while lifeguards are distracted.

“Sometimes they say they are the best swimmers,” he told Dominica News Online. “They don’t want to follow protocols; sometimes they take off the life jackets. The gorge is a [five-minute] swim and sometimes we are on the outside or distracted and when we give them the life jackets, you know what they do? They take off the life jackets.”

He said this happens despite the fact that visitors are warned that the wearing of lifejackets is mandatory. He also said that visitors are told that it is recommended to have a lifeguard accompany them while swimming but in some cases, that offer is turned down.

The Titou Gorge is one of Dominica’s premier tourist attractions. It has appeared and has been featured in countless travel magazines from around the world.

A scene from the movie “Pirates of the Caribbean” was filmed there.

Reviews from visitors have been largely positive.

“You need to try this to believe it!” one person wrote on Tripadvisor.

“Just an amazing place to discover. The water is not very cold, despite a first impression. Still, you need to be a decent swimmer if you want to pass the gorges to the fall, as the water stream is quite strong, and you need first to swim against it, and then to avoid nasty collisions with the rocks on your way back. Quite a unique place worldwide!”

“The trip through the Gorge was so worth it,” another wrote.

“I can be a little claustrophobic but never felt uncomfortable swimming to the waterfall and back. The water is cold but not numbing. It was so worth it. See[ing] the blue skies above framed with the lush tropical plants was beautiful and the water fall at the end is so powerful. Of course, seeing the location from a scene from the Pirates of the Caribbean was an added bonus!!!”