Scheveningen – Five water sports enthusiasts were killed off the Dutch North Sea coast in Scheveningen. Incredible: the victims are apparently experienced surfers and lifeguards, writes the “Telegraaf”.
The drama happened on Monday night: a group of surfers had jumped into the water with bodyboards and suddenly found themselves in need: the violent wind hit the North Sea, the current was strong. The “Telegraaf” writes that they were hit by high waves and a very thick layer of foam.
Some would have made it to shore on their own. The Royal Dutch Rescue Service saved seven people from the water. Two died on the beach despite attempts to resuscitate. A third surfer was hospitalized.
A rescue worker carries a kite board out of the waterPhoto: SEM VAN DER WAL / AFP
With four boats and a helicopter, rescuers searched for missing people until around 11 p.m., Tuesday at 6 a.m., the search continued. Three more bodies were recovered from the water in a few hours: the surf session ended fatally for a total of five people. Men and women are said to have been among the victims. Police do not say anything about identity at the moment.
People in the small fishing village near The Hague are sad and shocked, some laid flowers on the beach in memory of the victims. “This is unfathomable”, the “Telegraaf” quotes one of the mourners. “They are guys who know what they are doing. They were not only experienced surfers, but also lifeguards.”
Some of the victims are said to have been surf instructors. “Two of them were even lifeguards,” one young man told reporters. “They weren’t really idiots,” says another on the radio.
The mayor of The Hague, Johan Remkes, expressed his condolences to the relatives. “This is primarily a personal drama,” he said at a press conference. “We sympathize with you and stand by you.”
🠓¹ Burgemeester Johan Remkes tijdens persconferentie on drama aan Scheveningse Kust.” Ik wil tegen from Families van de slachtofers zeggen dat wij in Den Haag allemaal om u heen staan ”. pic.twitter.com/3wwMKkxwGN
How this could have happened is still unclear. One boy told Telegraaf: “We think they have run into difficulties because of the very thick layer of foam lying in the water. It was two meters high.”
Even seasoned water sports enthusiasts suspect that surfers could no longer orient themselves due to the thick layer of foam in the waves. Or they were thrown by a violent current towards the kade, which was secured with large rocks. “We don’t know yet,” says Coast Guard spokesman Edwin Granneman on the radio, “that has yet to be investigated.”
Photo: Action Press
Photo: SEM VAN DER WAL / AFP
Photo: “su Van Der Wal” / dpa