Saddest day in the history of the surf sport - Drama in the Netherlands

[Toby]

Just read a breaking news from 5 dead surfers in Scheveningen, Netherlands.

News says 5 surfers...not sure if any kitesurfers.

Here a link to the German article:
https://www.bild.de/news/ausland/news-a ... .bild.html

Very sad news. My condolences to all families and friends.

[Toby]

here the translation:

Heavy wind and strong currents brought a group of surfers off the Dutch coast into distress on Monday evening. Five people were killed!

According to the coast guard, at least seven water sports enthusiasts were unable to reach the beach on their own and were taken from the North Sea by the rescue workers; two were recovered dead on Monday. One person had been hospitalized.

The search for the missing was stopped at around 11 p.m. due to darkness and resumed at 6 a.m. Boats and helicopters were in use, the rescue workers said on Tuesday in The Hague.

On Tuesday morning, three other surfers were lifeless from the water, police said.

[Toby]

on this picture I see surfboards...so maybe not only kitesurfers.

Anyone with more info?

[or6]

Toby,

a very sad day here indeed. All of them were bodysurfers, even if that doesn't really matter. The local kite- and windsurfclub is situated some 200 meters from a local surfclub...we all know each other, to some extent, we share the same spot, and now the same shock.

Always be aware of conditions. They can change rapidly, and can be unpredictable or unexpected. In this case, they were caught in a massive buildup of foam, that acted like 'an avalaunch of snow'.

RIP, fellow sporters

[Exal]

Sad news, I don't think kitesurfers were involved maybe some dutch guys now more but it doesn't matter really. Sucks! https://www.dutchnews.nl/news/2020/05/h ... gen-coast/

[Toby]

Thx for the info guys...I changed the title a bit.

Where any kiters involved? Because of the picture with the twintip?

Anyway, the saddest day of our surf world. RIP

[Toby]

Sad news, I don't think kitesurfers were involved maybe some dutch guys now more but it doesn't matter really. Sucks! https://www.dutchnews.nl/news/2020/05/h ... gen-coast/

At the weekend, a 28-year-old man from Den Bosch was killed while out kite surfing off the Zeeland coast. Officials say he appeared to have been caught up in strong winds and was dashed against the concrete post of a beach house.

In addition this fatality...too many fatalities within few days. Sad.

[Whattheflock]

That's terrible. Maybe not kitesurfers but brothers of watersports anyway! My condolences..

[Huib]

Translate by Google

They were bodysurfers with swim fins.

In any case, part of the fatalities, which ran into problems at the Northern Harbor Head in Scheveningen on Monday evening, were themselves experienced rescue swimmer.
The group had taken to the sea with a bodyboard to exercise in tough conditions, an insider says.

"They often train in these types of conditions," said the kite surfer. "They were the fire brigade of the sea. They were the very best in the Netherlands. It is very sad that they were taken by the sea themselves during a training. "

The five surfers who lost their lives at Scheveningen may have been in trouble due to a thick layer of sea foam. According to Louis Peperzak, a researcher at the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ) on Texel, it is not yet known that sea foam could possibly be dangerous. "No, I have never heard of that," says Peperzak when asked whether people have ever been suffocated in a high layer of floating sea foam. "Not even in marine mammals." "This foam or ‘Cappuccino coast’ is typically formed in May," says Perperzak. “This is due to a degradation product of the algae Phaeocystis, which grows in April and early May. When the seawater with that breakdown product is whipped by the turbulence of the waves, foam is created. With more wind, north and west wind, even more foam can be created because there is more turbulence. ” The layer of sea foam that would have caused problems for surfers at the Noordelijk Havenhoofd near Scheveningen would have been a meter thick. That is no exception, according to Peperzak. “The substance can be compared to beer foam, also a bit sticky. It consists largely of air and becomes liquid again over time. Sea foam is mainly formed along the coast. “Because there is branding, there is more turbulence. There is also more pollution from nitrogen and phosphate near the coast, which means that Phaeocystis grows better and there is therefore more degradation product. ” Peperzak emphasizes once again that the foam is not known to endanger people and animals. “There is no research to indicate this. Nor that it would be toxic. ”

[Kitemenn]

No kitesurfers involved in this one. The pictures of twin tips was another side effect of the storm and foam, many people lost their boards yesterday and the coastguards also collected them in an attempt to see if there are any missing persons at sea. It's a real sad story and the people involved were very knowledgable and trained. Few of them were instructors/lifeguards and were real locals.

Mother nature can be wonderful but she can be crual too...RIP and lots of strenght to their relatives