The Sharjah Police were seen advising residents not to venture into the sea as the waves were unusually strong. - Photo by M. Sajjad
Dubai, Sharjah - Three people drowned off Dubai beaches on Friday while two others drowned in Sharjah.
Published: Sun 2 Oct 2016, 9:28 PM
Five people drowned off beaches in Dubai and Sharjah on a single day, while five others narrowly escaped death. Despite warning from the authorities, residents ventured into the unusually rough seas on Friday.
In Dubai, three people - one Indian and two Sri Lankans - drowned off the Umm Suqeim beach area near the Burj Al Arab.
In Sharjah, the bodies of two men - a 42-year-old Syrian national and a 24-year-old Somali national - were pulled from the sea off Al Hamriya and Al Khan beaches.
A spokesperson for the National Centre of Meteorology and Seismology (NCMS) said waves reached as high as 12 feet in some areas on Friday.
Authorities have warned beachgoers and fishermen to take extra care during the season when high tidal waves occur. They also urged parents to keep an eye on their children, and to report any incident to the rescue teams deployed on the beaches.
reporters@khaleejtimes.com
Three drown off Jumeirah beach
Amira Agarib
Dubai - In separate incidents, two Sri Lankans and one Indian drowned in the Umm Suqeim area near Burj Al Arab on Friday. Following the incidents, the Dubai Police issued a warning to the beachgoers to remain extra cautious while venturing into the sea.
According to the Dubai Police, the Indian drowned in the early morning and the Sri Lankans met with the tragedy in the evening.
Beware: High tide season is hereAfkar Abdullah and Amira Agarib
A board on the Sharjah open beach warns residents about strong currents. -Photo by M. Sajjad
The Sharjah Police and the Ajman Civil Defence have warned beachgoers that with the winter approaching, the sea could be more rough and dangerous.
Both the authorities issued warnings to beachgoers and fishermen to take extra care during the season when high tidal waves occur. They also urged parents to keep an eye on their children, and to report any incident to the rescue teams deployed on the beaches.
"We have placed warning signboards, but people continue to swim in dangerous areas, an official with the Sharjah Police said, adding that more than 12 drowning cases were reported in 2015. But this year, the number was less and we are making efforts to further reduce it.
"Swimmers must not go very far off the shore, because if the waves are high, rescue operations could be difficult and even endanger the lives of the rescuers as well," he said.
A senior police officer in Dubai urged beachgoers to call the police immediately in case of emergency. People should not go deep into the sea and should avoid swimming in rocky areas or the areas marked with red flags. Many of the beachgoers are not aware of dangerous areas off the beach and go into the sea at an inappropriate time, causing accidents, the officer said.
Majority of the accidents happen when people don't follow instructions and take the sea very lightly. They don't pay heed to the warning signs. Some venture into the deep sea even when they don't know swimming. In the present weather conditions, such moves could prove costly and people need to be careful, the officer said.
Considering the change in the weather, the Dubai Police have intensified police patrolling and deployed more lifeguards. -afkarali@khaleejtimes.com
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Media reports identified the Indian victim as 28-year-old Noushad, hailing from the Malappuram district of Kerala. He was working in a grocery in Al Barsha area of Dubai for last eight years.
According to Noushad's friends, he went to the beach along with some friends in the early morning on Friday. They said Noushad was washed away by strong waves while all of them were swimming in the sea around 4am. His friends tried to rescue him and pulled him to the shore.
A rescue team and the ambulance reached the site immediately after the accident was reported, said his friends, adding that Noushad was rushed to Saudi-German Hospital but he succumbed to his injuries.
A senior officer with the Dubai Police warned that beachgoers should avoid swimming in the sea late in the night as there will be no life guards present at the beach at that time.
The incidents involving the Sri Lankan victims happened in the evening between 4pm and 5pm, said the officer.
The operations room was informed by some beachgoers about two people washed away by the waves. Eyewitnesses told the police that the victims - identified as Shanta and Jeracca - were swimming in the water in different places for some time and the accident happened when they went deeper into the sea.
After getting the information, a police rescue team rushed to the site, but couldn't save the men. The police divers lifted the bodies of the victims after some time.
The bodies of the victims were referred to the General Department of Forensic Medicine.
A police officer said in the present weather conditions, the beachgoers should be careful as the sea is rough with high tides. Since the beginning of the year, one person drowned and 60 others were rescued off Dubai beaches.
amira@khaleejtimes.com (With inputs from Anu Warrier)
Two drown, five rescued off Sharjah beaches
Afkar Abdullah
Sharjah - On a single evening, two beachgoers drowned and five others were rescued off two Sharjah beaches.
According to the Sharjah Police, the incidents were reported on Friday evening on Al Hamriya and Al Khan beaches, causing the death of two and injuries to five others. The rescue unit of the Sharjah Police managed to rescue the five and recovered the bodies of a 42-year-old Syrian national and a 24-year-old Somali national.
The police received information about the incidents on the two beaches in the evening and immediately dispatched the rescue unit and ambulance to work with the civil defence for rescue operations.
The rescue unit managed to rescue five people of different nationalities from the sea off Al Khan beach. They were rushed to hospitals in Ajman and Umm Al Quwain. However, one of them - the Syrian national - succumbed to his injuries at the hospital.
The Somali deceased went into the sea off Al Hamriya beach along with his Egyptian friend, the police said. Despite the warning, they swam in areas with high waves and the sea was very rough. Both of them were washed away by the strong waves, but the rescue team managed to save the Egyptian. The team launched a search operation for the missing Somali national and his body was recovered from Sharjah-Ajman border on Saturday.
A senior police official said such accidents are likely to increase because the sea is likely to be rough as winter is approaching. "We have deployed rescue units and coast guards on all Sharjah beaches to quickly respond to any such incidents. Signboards that warn beachgoers of strong waves have been installed in various parts," he said. However, beachgoers hardly follow warning instructions and never check the weather forecast to learn about the condition of the sea, causing accidents, he added.
To reduce the number of drowning cases, the Sharjah Police are planning an awareness campaign for beachgoers, he said, adding that the police have launched a crackdown on jet skiers who ride too close to the shore which is very dangerous. The violating jet skies will be confiscated immediately."
afkarali@khaleejtimes.com
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