Police warning after sunset swimmer drowns off UAE beach

Unidentified man pulled from water but could be not revived

Ajman, United Arab Emirates - November 20, 2013.  The Ajman government have imposed a stiff penalty, whoever is caught littering the Beach Park ( along Corniche road ) will be fine AED 10,000.  ( Jeffrey E Biteng / The National )  Editor's Note;  Yasin K reports. *** Local Caption ***  JB201113-Littering08.jpg
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A man drowned during a sunset swim in the sea off Ajman's main public beach.

The unidentified swimmer got into difficulty while in the water late on Friday evening.

Ajman Civil Defence’s marine rescue team spotted him in trouble and recovered him but he could not be revived. The swimmer was pronounced dead at Sheikh Khalifa Hospital.

"The team rushed to his help and tried to revive him after pulling his body out of the water," said Lt Col Raed Obaid Al Zaabi, deputy director of the civil defence control centre.

"Their efforts continued as they drove him to hospital, but he died."

He urged beach goers not to go into the water in low light conditions or when the sea is rough.

Ajman’s Civil Defence department is building a Dh1.5m tower, equipped with cameras and a telecoms system, to will help rescue operations on Ajman beach. The tower will be ready for use by the end of this year.

UAE authorities have in recent months sought to expand facilities for swimmers and have more lifeguards on duty to cut the number of drownings.

In July, Dubai Municipality said that the popular Mamzar would become the second beach to host floodlights and lifeguards throughout the evening.

Mamzar Beach was fitted with a large illuminated pole similar to that on Umm Seqeim Beach, further down the coast, which allows parents and lifeguards to see for more than 100 metres at night.

“Since the inauguration of the Umm Suqeim night swimming beach in May, we have noticed the great demand from families to visit the beach, especially from Arab families," Alia Al Harmoudi, director of the Environment Department at Dubai Municipality, said at the time.

"The beach is an outlet that allows families to take their children to enjoy a unique, fun experience in summer without the exposure to sun, and in a safe environment in terms of availability of all elements and requirements of security and safety."

In 2016, 30 people drowned in the waters off the coast of Dubai, up from 24 in 2015, police said.

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