"Stop assessing and start fixing": Renewed calls for Marine Lake repairs after child swept into sea - Jersey Evening Post
by James Jeune · Jersey Evening PostPosted inNews
“Stop assessing and start fixing”: Renewed calls for Marine Lake repairs after child swept into sea
by James Jeune 7 July 20267 July 2026
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The Victoria Marine Lake 17/06/2025 PICTURE: ROBBIE DARK
THE St Helier Constable has renewed calls for urgent repairs to the Victoria Marine Lake, saying the recent incident in which a child was swept through an opening in the seawall should serve as a warning that the structure can no longer be left to deteriorate.
Inna Gardiner urged Islanders to continue following government advice to not swim in, enter, or walk around the West Park structure “under any circumstances”.
Her comments come after the Infrastructure Department urged Islanders to stay out of the Marine Lake after a child was pulled through a gap in the seawall and swept into the sea.
Mrs Gardiner said the incident was “heartbreaking” but “not a surprise”.
“My thoughts are with the child who was swept through an opening in the seawall last month,” she said.
“I am deeply relieved that they were rescued and are recovering. It could so easily have ended in tragedy.”
The former Deputy noted that, last year, she had sought hundreds of thousands of pounds of funding to repair the Victoria Marine Lake via an unsuccessful Budget amendment – after more than 1,500 Islanders signed a petition calling for the site to be restored.
“The message from our community has always been clear: this is a much-loved place where generations of Islanders, and visitors to Jersey, have enjoyed swimming for more than a century,” she added.
“This is not about politics. It is about public safety and protecting an important part of our community heritage.
“We need to stop assessing and start fixing. I will continue pressing for a proper, lasting solution so that the Marine Lake can once again be safe and open for everyone.”
Until then, the Constable urged Islanders to heed official warnings and “please stay out of the water”.
The government announced safety measures following the incident, including enhanced warning signs, while additional physical barriers and engineering interventions are being considered.
Infrastructure Minister Deputy Jonathan Renouf previously said the Island had been “extremely fortunate” that the incident had not resulted in a fatality, with engineers now assessing both immediate safety measures and longer-term solutions for the ageing structure.
In an update issued yesterday, the Infrastructure Department stated that – as part of the “immediate response” to the recent incident – new safety measures including additional concrete blocks, ropes and marker floats were being installed at the site.
“This will help to deter access to dangerous areas and reinforce public safety messages,” the message said.
“Warning signage at the Marine Lake is also being updated. Outdated signage is being removed, missing signs are being replaced, and additional warning signs are being installed.
“These measures form part of a wider programme of immediate risk mitigation while engineers continue to assess longer-term options for the structure.”
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