‘These beaches may look calm but can quickly turn deadly’
RAVEENDRAN’S DISTRAUGHT RELATIVES URGE PEOPLE TO AVOID NON-DESIGNATED BEACHES
Keep away from nondesignated beaches and this should not happen to any other family, said relatives and colleagues of an Indian man who died after saving his drowning children on a beach in Ajban here on Friday.
They revealed that the deceased Dileepkumar Raveendran, 39, and family had never expected such a danger as they used to visit the “calm and quiet” beach, near Al Raha on the outskirts of Abu Dhabi city.
“As it was not a public beach, [at Ajban near Al Raha on the outskirts of Abu Dhabi city], they never attempted swimming there as a warning board is in the vicinity. They were just wading in the water, close to the shore when high tide emerged out of the blue and dragged the children under the waves,” a close relative told Gulf News yesterday.
“Apparently there were some pits under the water and children fell in them,” said Jyothilil Sukumaran.
As Gulf News reported yesterday, the father collapsed after reaching the shore with two children — his daughter Devika, 9, and son Aryan, 6. The children were unharmed but shocked by their father’s death.
Heart attack
His death certificate confirmed that he died of cardiac arrest, possibly due to the shock of the incident, Sukumaran said.
He said the incident should be an eye-opener to all beachgoers. “The beach may look calm and quiet but water could always be tricky! He might have never imagined that there would be pits a few metres away and children would fall in them,” Sukumaran said.
If they visited a public beach ■ ■ having lifeguards and safety systems, the tragedy could have been averted, he said.
“We don’t know how to deal with this loss! Now, the body is in the morgue. When his wife and children see the body, we don’t know how to console them,” Sukumaran said.
“We want to request everyone from the bottom of our hearts … please avoid visiting non-designated beaches. Please remember they never attempted swimming but were simply walking in the water close to the shore!” he said while appealing to the public.
A colleague of the deceased said the incident has sent shock waves among colleagues and friends.
Strong waves
“I used to go to a similar non-designated beach in Taweela [near Al Raha where the tragedy occurred] with my family and we used to walk in the water; but not anymore,” said Jomon Jose, a construction manager.
The water always looked shallow but once when two speedboats passed through the nearby channel, powerful waves came up.
“It was frightening. If my child was walking in the water, he would have been swept away,” Jose said. Even if water looks shallow, it will be deep after a few metres. That’s why authorities have placed warning signs [no swimming and fishing] in such places. “We must follow such instructions. This must not happen to anybody else,” Jose said
He said although he worked with Raveendran for just six months, he was like a longtime friend. “A very supportive and helpful man. We have lost a fine human being.”
Raveendran was perfectly fit and never had any history of ailments, another family friend said. His father had died of cardiac arrest a few years ago.
They said the legal procedures were progressing and the body was expected to be repatriated to India today. Raveendran’s wife, two children, his mother-in-law [who came on a visit here] and some close relatives will accompany the body.