Civil Defense rescue workers at work trying to find the two drowned men. (Photo sent by Samir Yazbeck)
BEIRUT — The body of one of two Syrians who went missing off the coast of Ramlet al-Baida beach in Beirut on Saturday was recovered early Monday evening. A group of seven people went swimming on Saturday and were overcome by unstable weather conditions and particularly powerful waves. Four were rescued, a fifth washed ashore and was declared dead, and until Monday, two more remained missing in the water. The discovery late on Monday of a body about one-and-a-half kilometers from Ramlet al-Baida beach means one more person remains lost in the waters.
The search and rescue operations were carried out by Civil Defense throughout Sunday and into Monday, Samir Yazbeck, head of the marine unit, confirmed to L'Orient-Le Jour. Rescue workers searched the sea night and day to find the two lost men, using their usual equipment, as well as drones. Civil Defense teams continued Monday evening to look for the last missing person.
General Raymond Khattar, Director General of Civil Defense, who visited the site on Monday morning to monitor the search, gave instructions to extend the search to the entire beach and beyond, in case the drowned swimmers were carried further by the currents.
Ramlet al-Baida is Beirut's only public beach and owes its name to its characteristic white sand. It is a very popular site year-round, particularly during the summer months, although it is heavily polluted by untreated sewage. It has been monitored and managed for years by the Cedar for Care Association, which has signed a memorandum of understanding with the municipality.
Nazih Rayess, director of the public beach, told L'Orient-Le Jour his version of events regarding the weekend drownings. According to him, the beach management had announced its instructions to prohibit swimming that day, given the state of the sea and the presence of dangerous currents on the coastline. The group of seven young Syrians tried to get into the water once, only to be dissuaded by the lifeguard on duty. "When they insisted on swimming, they were challenged a second time by the lifeguard, but they promised to stay right on the shore," continued Rayess.
The search continues for the third consecutive day. (Photo sent by Samir Yazbeck)
A sudden gust of wind, accompanied by strong currents, caught the group of swimmers and Cedar for Care rescuers unawares. According to the beach manager, seeing the group in difficulty, these rescuers rushed to the scene with buoys, managing to pull four swimmers out of the water, who were immediately hospitalized.
"We then called the Civil Defence, who arrived almost an hour later, and the jet ski club at the Movenpick hotel [a few meters south of the beach], who reacted very quickly," he recounted.
However, it was too late for the three drowning victims. The body of one of them was washed ashore by the waves and recovered by rescue workers and the Civil Defence.
This article originally appeared in French in L'Orient-Le Jour.