Death Toll Rises At Camber

I live about 10 miles from Camber Sands. Earlier this year a guy drowned and two were taken to hospital seriously ill from the beach. Yesterday 5 people drowned there! If you have ever been it is really shallow and you have to walk out for miles until the water is even up to your knees. You have to really go some to lose your life there, or so I thought. WTF is going on?

Rumours are suggesting that they may have been migrants as some eyewitnesses are saying they were fully dressed.

Police don’t know who they are either, apparently.

Also they have given up looking for a 6th person for some reason, very bizarre…

BBC Kent this morning said that there is no reason to think that they were migrants and that they were dressed for swimming, but it does all sound very strange.

On the latest news it says that the men are from the Greater London area and were clothed appropriately for the beach, which makes it sound like they had more clothes on than budgie smugglers.

Fairysnuff, I was just passing on what I saw and read on the BBC news this morning. Still very strange as the sea was flatter than a mill pond yesterday (at least it was here in Poole-B’mouth conurbation)

Which is why I am so puzzled. I have never known heavy seas at Camber in this weather. You have to walk out for miles to swim too as it is so shallow. Can only imagine that alcholol was involved. To lose 5 people like this is staggering. The guy that drowned a few weeks back was apparently caught in a rip tide though.

There’s been so many reports of people drowning at the beaches in the UK this year, a few have been where they’ve been swept off of rocks by waves but you’d think that people would be careful at the beach.

Yeah there was a whole family washed off the rocks the other week. The father died and a little girl seriously ill but they managed to save the rest. Dreadful news. You dont expect to go the seaside and end up with a major tragedy.

I have a theory…it’s…only strong swimmers drown. Obviously not literally but as a generalisation a large proportion of those who drown overestimate their swimming prowess or underestimate the strength of sea conditions. Hot day and few cool libations, then a few more and judgement impared…cool off in the sea.

A sad stupid way to go.

The daughter died yesterday apparently

It is indeed. The guy who died the other week was supposedly caught in a rip tide. They explained on the news that these tides can run at over 4 knots, faster than an Olympic swimmer, so most would have no chance.

Awful to hear about the little girl too. Dreadful news.

A few years back I went to the Maldives. I had a bout of amoebic dysentry and made the mistake of going into the sea before I was fully recovered and still weak. A bunch of people had gone in to swim with some dolphins that appeared close to the beach. I swum off after them but by the time I got there the dolphons had gone and the people went back to the beach. As I tried to swim back I realised that I had zero energy left and could barely move my arms. The people on the beach were out of ear shot and paid me no attention. Fortunately I didnt panic and just let myself go with the current. Finally pitched up several hundred yards down the beach by just kicking every few minutes when I got a bit of strength back. It scared the bejesus out of me and I have been very wary of the sea ever since.

Yeah that does beg the rather odd question…should you teach your children to swim. Ask 100 people and 85 (maybe more) would say “yes” I’d abstain because I don’t know.

Absolutely teach your children to swim but also teach them to have a healthy respect for water.

I consider myself a more than competent swimmer but I also know my limits, I very rarely go out of my depth in the sea and I will never swim alone (i.e. on a deserted beach)

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This.

I can say without conceit that I’m a bloody strong swimmer and I’m under no illusions that *if* you’re caught in a serious riptide or current then it’s pretty much all over barring a rescue. Be 'effing careful and always, always, always be part of a group (although it doesn’t sound like it helped these lads).

They got stuck in quicksand apparently

Tragedy whatever the cause or fault … And I hear that complete cunt Katie Hopkins made a Twitter joke out of it … Are there no depths to which that fucking ignorant publicity whore won’t sink…

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This quote sums it up nicely

We really shouldn’t be surprised anymore but still…what the fuck is wrong with her?

I’m not gonna laugh, and don’t mean to take the mick, but that is such an old man story!!

Five mates going for a carefree day at the beach only for every one of them to end up dead is a heart-rending tragedy, and one that has particularly resonated with me because my own sons aren’t that much older than those poor chaps. It seems that sand bars and a rapidly rising tide were major contributors to this tragic incident.

On the subject of rip tides, I was caught in one, myself, several years ago, whilst holidaying in Sitges south of Barcelona. I was some way out beyond the breaker line, so there was little or no chance of people on the beach hearing my cries for help. Fortunately for me, however, a party of touring American Footballers just happened to be swimming about 100 yards from me; and, even more fortunately, one of them turned out to have worked as a lifeguard. He torpedoed through the waves like Johnny Weissmuller and swept me up into his arms like I was his Jane.

At that point, things started to get a little embarrassing because we found that he was actually able to stand up in the water – mind you, he was about a foot and a half taller than me. Anyway, I wrapped my arms around his neck and hung on to him for dear life as he carried me through the breakers. In fact, I was still clinging to him like a limpet when we emerged from the sea on to the beach. And then something surreal happened: a Spanish beach vendor with a tray hung around his neck tried to sell us an ice cream.

It was at that point that my American Hero gently suggested that it would be safe for me to let go of him. I think he was a little embarrassed – possibly because Sitges was a popular gay holidaying spot – but, I wasn’t embarrassed; indeed, I was so grateful that I would have been more than willing to give birth to his children, right there and then on the beach.

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Probably because I am an old man Cherts! :lou_wink_2:

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