Five surfers die in Dutch beach tragedy | Inquirer News

Five surfers die in Dutch beach tragedy

/ 07:06 PM May 12, 2020

The Hague, Netherlands Five surfers have died after getting into difficulty in “avalanche-like” seafoam caused by stormy conditions off a popular Dutch beach, police and witnesses said Tuesday.

Rescue workers retrieved the bodies after a major search following the incident on Monday at Scheveningen, a suburb of The Hague that borders the North Sea.

Two victims were pulled from the sea late Monday but died despite efforts to resuscitate them. Three more bodies were discovered on Tuesday.

Article continues after this advertisement

Two of the surfers were internationally-trained lifeguards and had worked in Australia, The Hague’s “alternative mayor” Pat Smith said.

FEATURED STORIES

“They were busy training. They then disappeared under the foam like it was some sort of avalanche,” he told Den Haag FM radio station.

Pictures from the scene showed rescue helicopters using their rotor blades to blow away a thick layer of sea foam near Scheveningen harbor entrance.

Article continues after this advertisement

Several boats also combed the surf.

Article continues after this advertisement

Drownings are rare along the Dutch coastline, but conditions can deteriorate rapidly during storms.

“The whole Dutch surfing community is in mourning today,” one local surfer, who asked not to be named, told AFP.

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our daily newsletter

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.

TAGS: Accident, drowning, Netherlands, News, surfers, Surfing, Weather, world, world news

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our newsletter!

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.

© Copyright 1997-2024 INQUIRER.net | All Rights Reserved

This is an information message

We use cookies to enhance your experience. By continuing, you agree to our use of cookies. Learn more here.