Five men died in the sea tragedy near Rye in East Sussex on Wednesday.
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It said it believed all five men fell into deep channels of water between sand-bars – mounds of sand created by wave and tide activity – which had been made deeper with the weekend storms.
Chief Superintendent Di Roskilly, of Sussex Police, said: “This has been an incredibly tragic incident and we are offering their next of kin support at this hard time and our thoughts are with them”.
Three men died after they “got into difficulties in the water” at about 2.15pm, despite the efforts of emergency services and others on the beach.
The victims, 22-year-old Nitharsan Ravi, 19 year-old Kobi Nathan and his brother 22 year-old Kenigan Nathan, 27 year-old Kurushanth Anna and 23 year-old Inthushan Sri, had all travelled together from their homes in Greater London.
The sea around Camber Sands has no especially risky features and the deaths remain “very much unexplained”, said an RNLI worker positioned further up the coast.
A beach-goer found the bodies of two further men washed up on the beach later that evening.
“And there are no massive rip currents”.
She said: “I understand that a lifeguard can only monitor a certain piece of land. and on a beach this size it would make it very hard. People are calling me saying how could it have happened”. If you see photographs of the sea at the time, it’s very calm.
A petition was launched following his death campaigning MP Amber Rudd to introduce lifeguards on the beach at Camber Sands.
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A 35-year-old man and his 17-year-old son, not connected to Mr Da Cruz, also got into difficultly in the water.
More people have started visiting who may not be familiar with the area, they added.
“This has included visitors entering the sea although they’re not able to swim and in some cases entering the water fully clothed”.
‘We are in regular discussion with emergency services and other colleagues to ensure that the measures now in place are sufficient and identify any additional measures that may need to be taken, either in terms of arrangements at the beach or doing more to educate people of the dangers of the sea’.
Late yesterday afternoon Rother District Council confirmed an RNLI risk assessment carried out at Camber Sands in 2013 suggested the use of lifeguards, after previously insisting that the seven-mile stretch of undulating sand had been assessed as safe without lifeguards.
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In a statement the charity said: “In response to recent tragic events at Camber Sands, the RNLI is working with Rother District Council to provide reassurance to the public by providing a temporary RNLI lifeguard service which will work alongside the existing local authority personnel”. “These checks have not, to date, identified the need for lifeguards”.
