Sharjah: A drowning case has been referred by police to public prosecutors after the weekend death of a man who engaged in a water adventure sport after he allegedly refused to wear a life jacket, said Sharjah Police at Khor Fakkan on Sunday.
The 32-year-old Filipino man drowned in the sea while practising a water activity on Khor Fakkan beach on Saturday, said police.
“The company must provide life jackets to people who want to take part in these sports activities,” said Lieutenant Ebraheim Asker of the media department at Eastern Region Police.
“There was no safety in this case. This case has been referred to the public prosecution.”
Early investigation by authorities suggests that the man who died was being towed on a plastic device which is made of lighter material than that found on traditional banana boats often seen at tropical resorts and used by tourists on holiday.
The lightweight plastic towing device which the victim was riding can become airborne when towed at high speed and stays in the air slightly above the surface for extended periods of time, Asker told Gulf News.
He said life jackets are mandatory under the law.
Police said the man’s body was found after 45 minutes of intensive search by the police Air Wing and a diver who worked in one of the hotels in the area.
The victim asked his colleague to try a water activity called “flying fish”.
Lieutenant Abdul Rahman Murad, deputy officer at Khor Fakkan Police, said the victim’s colleague attempted to rescue him but his attempt failed. The man sought help from people on the beach who reported the incident to the police operations room.
Police urged people to abide by safety measures in the sea and wear life jackets to protect their lives.
Life jackets are mandatory for sports adventure companies offering tourists rides on boats.
