Ajman: Three people drowned in Ajman while 95 were saved but suffered injuries in the first seven months of this year, according to an Ajman Police official.
Captain Mohammad Bin Hazeem, Director of community police, said that the majority of victims ignored the ‘Red Flag’ warning and entered the sea.
Red flag postings on beaches are put in place to warn swimmers of high waves, wind and strong tidal conditions that threaten the safety of people entering the water.
“We saw 98 different accidents since the beginning of the year until the end of July,” he said.
The figures showed in 2013 there were 15 incidents resulting in four deaths while there were nine incidents in 2012 resulting in one death. Police are set to launch a safety campaign titled ”Beaches without drowning” to educate people about the dangers of the sea and the risk of ignoring safety procedures.
The initiative will be launched in cooperation with Ajman Civil Defence, Kempinski Hotel, and Saraya Ajman Hotel, as well as Ajman Palace Hotel.
The police have stepped up safety measures at beaches to avoid incidents at sea such as jet-ski incidents and drowning.
Capt Bin Hazeem said that the majority of drowning cases recorded this year were due to beachgoers not adhering to safety instructions issued by police.
“Signboards are placed on the beach but some swimmers ignore them and endanger their lives by swimming in these areas. Also, many swimmers ignore the warning and choose to swim on days when turbulent weather is witnessed and when there is high tide, making them more prone to drowning,” he said.
The Ajman Police official noted that a rescue team and an ambulance patrol can be found every day at beaches. They respond immediately to any emergency call and have rescued many people.
Ajman Police and the Rescue Department are taking precautionary and preventive measures and distributing patrols in areas that witness drowning incidents in order to spread safety awareness.
Lieutenant Fatima Obaid Al Shamsi, and Lieutenant Abdullah Khalfan Bin Badr, and a number of other officers distributed awareness brochures in Arabic and English.
Ajman Police urged the public to call 999 or 997 if they spot anybody in danger in the water. The public should take note of weather conditions and abide by the signboards near swimming areas.
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