Maneesh Bakshi
Doha
On an average six to seven distress calls were reported from the Sealine beach daily during the Eid Al Fitr holidays, according to a Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) volunteer.
Osama Fathy, who was on emergency rescue duty at the Sealine beach, said,"The most common reasons behind people straying into the deep water are disorientation, over-excitement and getting swayed by the current. While most distress cases involve victims who do not know swimming, some involve disoriented swimmers who stray deep into the sea and then exhaust their energy in a desperate attempt to reach the shore."
However, there are also cases of jellyfish stings, which can put a swimmer in distress.
"We have three watch-towers to monitor the activities around the beach and are equipped with four kayaks, two jet skis and one motorised boat to handle any untoward incident that is brought to our notice," Fathy added.
He said,"Ideally bathers must not go any deeper than having water up to their waist. The continental shelf may fall steeply beyond 50 metres. So one must be very careful at all times."
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