“Rother District Council provide beach patrols who are on site throughout the summer and are able to advise people of the dangers of the sea, reunite lost children and deal with any incidents on the beach, including performing first aid”.
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A Rother District Council spokesman said: “We very much welcome and appreciate the support the RNLI are offering to provide a temporary lifeguard service”.
She said: “Now it’s been blocked”.
Relatives have criticised the lack of lifeguards, suggesting their loved ones may have survived if the beach was manned.
Last month a Brazilian national, Gustavo Silva Da Cruz, 19, died in the water off Camber Sands and two others had to be rescued after being caught by a tide and strong winds.
“We recommended lifeguards as one control measure, alongside education for people, and the beach patrols which Rother District Council provides”.
Siblings: Kenigan Nathan, 19, left, his brother Kobi Nathan, 22, right, could not swim, their father says, and added: “I brought my children from Sri Lanka because it is not safe back there”.
Ravi’s brother Ajirthan said: “It has been a very hard time for us and especially for the parents of the other four victims, because they treat us the same way as their kids – that’s how it works between us”. “But all five of them got into difficulty and sadly died”. If there had been my sons would have at least had a fighting chance of survival.
‘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’.
An online petition started a month ago to campaign for lifeguards at Camber has now reached more than 6,800 signatures. “So what they do is the three boys try to save them”.
The bodies of Ken Nathan and Inthushan Sri were discovered later that evening, he said, adding that he thought they had got their legs caught in the “slippery mud” and sand on the sea bottom.
The organisation regularly carries out assessments on beaches which take in everything from the size of the waves, the topography of the land and the people who visit, after which they negotiate with councils to provide lifeguarding services.
“Kurushanth was brought out dead first”.
They both had a pulse for 15 minutes while paramedics tried to save them.
Police said the men had all travelled to Camber for the day on Wednesday.
One beach-goer said police told her to stay out of the sea due to a rip tide while another, who declined to be named, said: “We noticed when we came here that there were no lifeguards”.
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“We believe we now know who the men are and that they came to the beach together for the day”, said Chief Supt Di Roskilly.
