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A flag flies on the beach in Scheveningen. Three gray fish on a blue background. Symbol of the mecca of Dutch water sports, a suburb of The Hague. A sign has been hanging next to it since yesterday, five white fish on a black background. Symbol for five young men who died surfing this week (BLICK reported).
Sander D. * († 38), Joost B. * († 30), Pim W. * († 24), Mathijs van D. * († 23) and Max V. * († 22) spent a lot of time this Monday febrile. For the first time since the crown blockade, they were allowed to return to the water together. Exercise your passion, which was also the job for some.
“Everyone was an experienced lifeguard”
Sander, Joost and Pim ran an on-site surf school. “I met two of them as great teachers who were always in a good mood, motivated, and gave us feedback,” a former surf student tells BLICK. Water games and physical exercises were part of the varied training and when someone made mistakes, there was a lot of laughter. “I am grateful for what I could learn from them. I’ll be back to the board soon and remember them.
Sander, Joost and Pim are always shown laughing and tanning on social media. Mark van Haafts, himself a surfer, knows his skills. He tells the Dutch newspapers: “They were all very experienced lifeguards. They were in the water every day. A few days ago, he would have seen one of the three, who would have given him surf lessons. “If that can happen to them, it can happen to anyone.”
When the five surfers paddle the North Sea with one another on Monday, the waves churn. White foam covers the waves. No problem for most surfers, many train here almost every day. It is still unclear why they are in dire need soon after.
“Like an avalanche”
The wind had grown strong, an unexpected current had come, observers tell the media. In addition, there was the dense white foam in which they would have lost their way. One thing is clear: The planned meeting will become a drama.
Surfers are washed away in the floods, their bodies in sea balls. The spray has “hit athletes like an avalanche,” The Hague “night mayor” Pat Smith later said.
The lifeboats departed immediately, accompanied by helicopters. With their rotor blades, they expel the white foam from the waves. Seven surfers are saved in this way, with two of them attempts to revive on the beach are unsuccessful. They are Sander and Joost, the oldest of the victims.
Rescue operations are canceled on Monday night. “From now on it’s a rescue,” says a rescuer. He should be right. On Tuesday two bodies are found: Pim and Max. Mathijs is still floating in the sea. On Wednesday, emergency services learned that his body had been seen. The search for the 23-year-old is ongoing, there is no hope for him.
Two students who wanted to have fun
Mathijs and Max studied at TU Delft. Mathijs wanted to move to Rotterdam next month. Max comes from Amsterdam, he moved to Delft four years ago, according to his Facebook profile, he helped people who want to learn more about their university.
Hundreds of people gather on the beach in Scheveningen on Tuesday. The local surf school “The Shore” is covered in a sea of flowers. In the middle, lanterns peek out. Together, the surfing community tries to find meaning in the nonsense.
The sign with the five fish is likely to remain next to the flag with the three fish for a long time. Mark van Hafts says: “This tragedy makes it clear how quickly everything can end.”
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