Five surfers die in 'foam avalanche' tragedy
Five experienced surfers have died after getting into difficulty in “avalanche-like” seafoam caused by stormy conditions off a popular Dutch beach.
The five men, two of whom had previously worked in Australia, drowned in rough seas off the Dutch coast near The Hague, the city's mayor said on Tuesday, local time.
The men set out from Scheveningen beach late on Monday afternoon, local time, and got into trouble when the wind changed direction and up to a metre of foam formed on top of the waves.
“People here know that the sea gives and takes, but the manner in which so many young lives has been cut off is unimaginably cruel,” Mayor Johan Remkes told a news conference.
He described the victims as “fit, young sporty people who know the water like the back of their hands.”
The age of the victims was between 22 and 38 and they all lived nearby.
Rescue workers recovered two of the victims on Monday but could not resuscitate the victims and found two more bodies on Tuesday morning. The body of the fifth victim was spotted in the sea but could not yet be retrieved.
Two of the surfers were internationally-trained lifeguards and had worked in Australia, The Hague’s “alternative mayor” Pat Smith said.
“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 harbour entrance.
People gathered on the beach on Tuesday clutching flowers while residents in Scheveningen have already begun mourning the surfers, laying wreaths in seaside areas.
Drownings are rare along the Dutch coastline, but conditions can deteriorate rapidly during storms.
with AFP, Reuters
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