FIVE SWIMMERS DROWN
THE devastated brother of one of the young men who died in the Camber Sands tragedy said all five victims would still be alive if the beach had lifeguards.
The friends drowned in front of thousands of holidaymakers as a fast-running tide raced up the beach, notorious for its rip currents and quicksands.
They were named yesterday as Kenigan Nathan, 19, Nitharsan Ravi and Kobi Nathan, both 22, Inthushan Sriskantharasa, 23, and Kurushanth Srithavarajah, 27 – all members of the Sri Lankan community in London, out on a day trip.
Last night Nitharsan’s brother Ajirthan said: “All five were good swimmers but the strong tide wore them down easily. A five-minute delay caused this death toll. A reliable lifeguard could have saved them all and I recommend the beach gets one.”
He revealed that three of the victims drowned while heroically trying to save two of their pals who had become trapped in underwater quicksand off the East Sussex beach.
“Kenigan and Inthushan got stuck and the others went under the water to try and save them,” he said. “But all five got into difficulty and died.
“First Kurushanth was brought out dead just after 2pm. Then my brother and Kobi were carried out. Both had a pulse for 15 minutes while paramedics tried to save them.
“Divers pulled Kenigan and Inthushan out at 8pm. They were under the water, their legs were sucked in by quicksand, and the emergency services hadn’t known they were there.”
The friends had been playing football before the tragedy unfolded on the popular East Sussex beach.
“They hadn’t been before but went down by car on Wednesday because it was forecast to be one of the hottest days of the year,” said Ajirthan. “They drowned because of a lack of stamina from the tidal effect.”
He added: “They knew each other since the age of five when they met playing tabla drums together. This is just so sad.”
There are no dedicated lifeguards at Camber Sands, which is watched over by a council-funded beach patrol.
Its members are trained in first aid but are not allowed to rescue people from the sea. The RNLI covers incidents in the water.
Yesterday a petition calling for permanent lifeguards was gathering support, with more than 5,000 signatures already.
A spokesman for Rother District Council called the deaths tragic but said such a disaster is “extremely rare” at the beach, which can attract about 25,000 bathers on a sunny day.
He said regular assessments are held to decide safety requirements, adding: “To date these have not identified a need at Camber Sands for lifeguards, who have never been employed there.”
Just last month Brazilian Gustavo Silva Da Cruz, 19, died while swimming off Camber Sands.
And yesterday victim Nitharsan’s sister Mayura, PASSERS-BY tried in vain to save two people from a car that fell 20ft into a lake.
The vehicle overturned with the man and woman inside at Hooe Lake in Plymouth, Devon, yesterday.
Members of the public and police 17, said her family was “very angry” that Mr Da Cruz’s death had not led to that section of beach being blocked off. “Why didn’t they do it?” she demanded. “They could have saved five other lives.”
She spoke as 50 relatives and friends came to share the family’s grief at their home in Plumstead, South East London – spilling into the street outside.
Yesterday Camber Sands was still thronged with trippers. Among them was Nicola Watson, 30, who witnessed the horror on Wednesday.
She told of having seen a mother running with her baby’s pushchair that day to escape the rapidly approaching water. “The tide comes in very quickly here and the depth can be deceptive,” she said.
“I believe those boys were out too far, got overtaken by the tide and became caught on a sandbank, where they couldn’t cope with the current.
“The water is cold and the currents are so strong that if you’re not a good swimmer you can easily get overwhelmed. If that can happen to grown men, how can there be no lifeguards here? It’s ridiculous. A child wouldn’t stand a chance.
“It was bystanders who pulled the lads out – not the beach patrol, who are just here for lost property and missing people, not saving lives.”
Mum Rebecca Day, 29, of East Grinstead – at the beach with her daughter, stepson and nephew – said: “I don’t know how it can be legal not to have lifeguards on a family beach of this size.”
The rip tides that are feared to have caused the tragedy are commonly developed off beaches by sandbars – ridges that build up in one place due to currents around the lines where waves break. They can be submerged and are mostly constructed of sand but can also be made of shingle or boulders.
Yesterday a helicopter search continued into the early hours off Camber Sands following reports that a sixth man had been sighted floating in the sea – but police later confirmed that they are not looking for more victims.
A lifeguard could have saved the boys. The beach has to get one
AJIRTHAN RAVI BROTHER OF VICTIM dragged the man clear but were unable to reach the woman, who was freed by firefighters. Both of the occupants died.
A police spokesman said: “The vehicle ended up on its roof and became submerged in the water.”