Sharjah beaches to get safe zones

Tighter safety measures are in the works for beaches near Coral Beach Resort following the drowning of two people last week, one of them a 13-year-old boy. An official at Sharjah Police, who declined to be named, told Gulf News that the beach is currently under study and the aim is to beef up security measures to avoid drownings in the future. Ishaq Abdul Nabi, a Pakistani teenager and Tareq Hassin Khalil Kadoz, a 38-year-old Palestinian died when they drowned at the Sharjah beach on April 14. "Very soon, we will start raising flags so that beachgoers will know when it is safe to swim in the sea and we have also recommended to Sharjah Municipality to build two watchtowers so that lifeguards will be available to save swimmers from drowning," said the police official. Barriers will also be inserted in the water so that beachgoers will be unable to swim far out into the sea. Planning stages Although the deadline for implementing the safety measures was not revealed, the project is in final planning stages and will be discussed with Sharjah Municipality, which is responsible for implementing the project. Sultan Al Mualla, director of Sharjah Municipality, confirmed that Sharjah Police is working to make the beach safer for swimmers. "The Police Rescue Section is in charge of surveying the area and it is carrying out a study on what security issues need to be addressed. Once their proposal is finalised, they will hand over their recommendations and we will carry them out," said Al Mualla. The current situation at the public beach is a bleak one, as there are no safety precautions present. There are no security patrols, no lifeguards in the area nor any safety flags to alert swimmers about water conditions. Several families have reservations about their children playing near the sea given several tragic drowning incidents in the last few years. Umm Saeed, an Emirati mother, enjoys taking her two children, ages two and four, to the beach in the morning when the weather permits. "I watch them all the time and dare not leave them out of my sight, and it does not even cross my mind to let them swim. There are no lifeguards and I do not feel safe, and do not want to risk my children's lives. There certainly needs to be more security because now, I might think the weather's suitable for swimming but cannot know for sure if I do not see a green flag on the beach," said Umm Saeed. Sulafa, a 34-year-old Syrian mother, also agreed that there needs to be a stronger presence of ambulance and rescue teams along the beach. "I have heard of many accidents where children have drowned and I think they could have been prevented if there were lifeguards. The only cars I see are those belonging to the municipality who clean the beach, but otherwise, the entire area is empty," said the mother of one. The police warned people to be extra cautious.