Drum circle participants 'obstructed and harassed' lifeguards on Vancouver beach, park board says

This photo shows a crowd gathered for the weekly drum circle on Third Beach in Vancouver's Stanley Park (Credit: LeonWang/Shutterstock.co)

Lifeguards have stopped patrolling a Vancouver beach on Tuesday nights because the crowd at a weekly drum circle has become unmanageable and unsafe, according to the park board.

The move was announced in a tweet, the board saying the decision to halt patrols at 7 p.m. was necessary to ensure the safety of lifeguards and followed an "incident" at Third Beach in Stanley Park earlier this month.

"All those who attend the drum circle are being warned of the risks associated with unsupervised swimming," the tweet continued.

TWEET EMBED: In an email, a spokesperson provided more details. On July 12, guards pulled an unconscious person out of the water and performed first aid until an ambulance arrived.

"At the time of the incident, it is reported the number of people at Third Beach exceeded 4,000," the statement reads.

"Other lifeguards on site reported they were obstructed and harassed by individuals in the crowd, both physically and verbally, as they attempted to reach the unconscious individual."

The weekly gathering was described as an "unsanctioned and unpermitted event" that has been drawing increasingly large and unruly crowds to the waterfront in recent weeks. The park board spokesperson said it has gotten to the point where rangers and lifeguards can’t ensure their own safety or the safety of the people participating in the drum circle.

The Vancouver Park Board will be meeting with the police department and city protective services to "establish a coordinated approach and long-term strategy to manage the congregation of large crowds and associated bylaw infractions."