Camber Sands inquest hears onlookers thought men who drowned were playing 'volleyball'

Five men drowned on a "perfect summer's day" at Camber Sands beach as onlookers mistook their frantic ordeal for a game of “volleyball”, an inquest heard yesterday.

Beach-goers visiting the East Sussex seaside on 24 August last year recounted how they had misinterpreted the men's “waving arms” for the popular watersport, and that it seemed as though they had just been “playing around”.

In fact, the men, from southeast London, were desperately trying to stay above water as strong currents quickly overcame them.

The new disclosures came as it was revealed that the RNLI had turned down a request by Rother District Council for more lifeguard cover at the beach because it lacked the additional resources, just two weeks before the men were killed.

Giving evidence at Hastings coroner’s court, Amy Wood, a 17-year-old surfer, said that she had first seen the men “waving their arms and bobbing up and down”.

She added that it had “been difficult to work out whether they playing games or in actual difficulty,” and that she originally thought nothing of it because she was preoccupied attempting to shepherd another man back to the safety of the shore.

Whilst other witnesses claimed the sea looked calm and “like a millpond”, Stephen Deacon said he had been alarmed by the strength of the current, adding that he had been “unable to control my own body”.

“It unnerved me,” he continued. “I just headed back towards the beach as I had three children with me. I wouldn't have gone to the beach if I knew it was like that.”

Mr Deacon added that he had seen five Asian men chest-deep in the water and believed they had been playing, but that he had later seen a Coastguard helicopter around the time of the incident.

Earlier in the inquest, Brett Lockyer, a consultant forensic pathologist confirmed that the men had died from immersion.

Their deaths came just weeks after Mohit, Dupar, 36, from west London, drowned at Camber Sands as he tried to rescue a Brazilian tourist, Gustavo Silva da Cruz, 19, who also died.

Describing the “hysteria” that swept the beach on one of coastal officer Stephen Benn said he had been in complete shock as one after another, the men’s bodies were swept ashore.

“At this point I was just in shock. I couldn't believe it,” he added."It was a perfect summer's day, with totally calm water, not even a ripple."

The men, who were described by family members on Monday as fit and competent swimmers, were named as Kenugen Saththiyanathan, 18, his brother Kobikanthan Saththiyanathan, 22; Nitharsan Ravi, 22; Inthushan Sriskantharasa, 23; and Gurushanth Srithavarajah, 27.