A flag flies on the beach at Scheveningen. Three gray fish on a blue background. Symbol of the Dutch water sports mecca, a suburb of The Hague. A sign has been hanging next to it since yesterday, five white fish on a black background. Symbol for five young men who died surfing this week (BLICK reported).
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Sander D. * († 38), Joost B. * († 30), Pim W. * († 24), Mathijs van D. * († 23) and Max V. * († 22) had a long time this Monday feverish. For the first time since the corona lockdown, they were allowed back into the water together. Exercise your passion, which was also the job for some.
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“Everyone was an experienced lifeguard”
Sander, Joost and Pim ran a surf school on site. “I knew two of them as great teachers who were always in a good mood, motivated and gave us feedback,” says a former surf student to BLICK. Water games and physical exercises were part of the varied training and when someone made mistakes, there was a lot of laughter. «I am grateful for what I was able to learn from them. I will soon get back on the board and remember them. »
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Sander, Joost and Pim are always shown laughing and tanned on social media. Mark van Haafts, himself a surfer, knows their skills. He says to Dutch newspapers: «They were all very experienced lifeguards. They were in the water every day. » A few days ago, he would have seen one of the three, given surfing lessons to him. “If that can happen to them, it can happen to anyone.”
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When the five surfers paddle into the North Sea with others this Monday, the waves are ruffled. White foam covers the waves. No problem for most of the surfers, many train here almost every day. It is still unclear why they are in dire need shortly thereafter.
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“Like an avalanche”
The wind had turned strong, an unexpected current had come, observers tell the media. In addition, there was the dense white foam in which they would have lost their bearings. One thing is clear: the planned reunion will become a drama.
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The surfers are dragged into the floods, their bodies into balls of the sea. The spray has “hit the athletes like an avalanche”, The Hague’s “night mayor” Pat Smith will later tell.
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Lifeboats set off immediately, accompanied by helicopters. With their rotor blades, they blow the white foam from the waves. Seven surfers are saved in this way, with two of them the attempts to revive on the beach are unsuccessful. They are Sander and Joost, the oldest of the victims.
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The rescue operations are canceled on Monday night. “From now on it’s a salvage,” says a rescuer. He should be right. On Tuesday two bodies are found: Pim and Max. Mathijs is still floating on the sea. On Wednesday, the emergency services learned that his body had been sighted. The search for the 23-year-old is ongoing, there is no hope for him anymore.
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Two students who wanted to have fun
Mathijs and Max studied at the TU Delft. Mathijs wanted to move to Rotterdam next month. Max comes from Amsterdam, moved to Delft four years ago, according to his Facebook profile, helped people who want to learn more about his university.
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Hundreds of people gather on the beach in Scheveningen on Tuesday. The local surf school “The Shore” is covered by a sea of flowers. In between, lanterns look out. Together, the surfing community tries to find meaning in the senseless.
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The sign with the five fish is likely to remain next to the flag with the three fish for a very long time. Mark van Hafts says: “This tragedy makes it clear how quickly everything can be over.”
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* Name of the editor known
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