SHARJAH // Al Hamriya Municipality is stepping up its safety campaign to prevent drownings after tragedies at the idyllic beach 30 minutes from the centre of Sharjah.
The pristine stretch of coastline is often visited by those who want to get away from the bustle of the emirate’s popular main beaches but it is not patrolled by lifeguards.
The deaths have prompted the municipality to take action. Danger signs have been placed on the beaches, and Sharjah Police have handed flyers to beachgoers warning of the potential hazards, especially during high tides.
“There are signs on the beach, but we identified new places to add more and replaced the old ones,” said Mubarak Al Shamsi, Al Hamriya Municipality director.
He said the majority of drownings at Al Hamriya were due to beachgoers swimming in bad weather.
In May, the body of a 20-year-old man was recovered after he and a friend got into difficulty while swimming. The other man survived.
Last year, a 17-year-old Syrian boy drowned at Al Hamriya. He was pronounced dead at Khalifa Hospital in Sharjah. In 2013, a man died while trying to save his camel from drowning. The year before, a 33-year-old from Ghana perished.
Parents at the beach this week said they were vigilant because there were no lifeguards.
Ajman resident Ahmad Riyad said he did not allow his two children to go into the water unaccompanied.
“There are no lifeguards and that adds more pressure on the parents to stay vigilant,” said the 38-year-old.
On weekends, Yousef Hasan and his friends went to the beach after work to swim and wind down. “We usually go into the water when it is dark. I know it is dangerous, but we make sure not to do anything stupid that might endanger us,” said the 31-year old.
The marketing agent said he had heard about the drownings on Sharjah beaches.
“The chilling stories of people drowning made me never go too deep,” he said.
Mother of three Hiyam Fadel, 41, took her sister with her to help her watch her children.
“The younger ones can be monitored. However, my 15-year-old swims deep and does not heed my warnings,” said the Palestinian, who added that her son saw young men behaving recklessly and wanted to copy them.
“When he goes deep I yell at him to turn back. It would kill me if something happened to him,” said the housewife.
Al Hamriya Municipality and police planned an open day to raise greater awareness and take the safety message to beachgoers in person.
“We want to talk to people face to face, leaflets and warning signs are not enough,” said Mr Al Shamsi.
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