87 drowning cases in 2012 spark alert

The Border Guard has warned beachgoers not to swim in bad weather along the Jeddah coast because they could drown or get attacked by sharks.
The warnings were issued after the Border Guard said that 87 people of various ages and nationalities drowned in Saudi coastal waters last year. One-third of the casualties were women, local media reported on Saturday.
“Border Guard teams rescued 400 men, women and children from drowning last year,” said Border Guard spokesman Brig. Muhammad Al-Ghamdi.
He said a committee consisting of more than 100 female volunteers, including doctors and experts, regularly conducts awareness campaigns on how women can keep themselves and their children safe on the beaches.
The committee organizes lectures about the risks involved in swimming in the sea, the common causes of drowning and methods of protection.
He said the cases of women drowning in the Eastern Province dropped from eight in 2006 to five in 2012 because of the awareness campaigns. He warned parents to be extra vigilant about their children’s safety on the beaches especially during vacations.
He also called on young people to avoid venturing out too far from the shore and for women not to swim on lonely beaches after nightfall.
“If someone is in danger in the sea, people on the shore should call the Border Guard on 994 immediately,” Al-Ghamdi said. He said people should not try to rescue those in trouble at sea. If no rescue team arrives within six minutes after the person goes under the water, the victim "will be beyond help,” he said.
Col. Saleh Al-Ghamdi, the Border Guard’s spokesman in Makkah region, said the Border Guard focuses on the eastern and western coasts and are authorized to prevent people from swimming in bad weather.
He said the Border Guard spotted sharks in the waters at the Jeddah Corniche and near the Jeddah Islamic Port.
These sharks are known to swim close to the Red Sea shore, posing a danger to swimmers and divers.
Although the Border Guard has not registered any shark attacks in the Red Sea to date, Al-Ghamdi warned all swimmers to exercise caution.