A series of tragic drowning incidents along the Libyan coast has left 13 people dead and required the rescue of 19 others over a three-day span from Thursday to Saturday, according to Libya’s primary maritime rescue authority.
Emergency response teams warned of severe risks created by rough seas and adverse weather conditions, pleading with beachgoers and swimmers to observe basic safety protocols and avoid entering the water during periods of heightened danger.
Rescue units responded to multiple life-threatening emergencies across the coastline throughout the weekend. Off the central village of Zureiq, maritime teams successfully pulled a father and son from the water after they were reported missing; both survived and were treated at a local hospital in stable condition. Further east, the Driana maritime rescue team, working in coordination with the Benghazi branch of the Libyan Red Crescent, executed a preventative evacuation of swimmers at the Al-Yaqouta beach resort without any recorded injuries.
Despite these successful interventions, fatal accidents were reported across other coastal regions. Officials confirmed the deaths of two teenagers, Abdullah Hamrashousha and Mohamed Al-Harawi, both born in 2009, who drowned in the western region of Al-Ajilat. The sudden spike in casualties over such a brief period has renewed demands from local authorities and residents to scale up lifeguard staffing and surveillance along Libya’s public beaches, many of which remain under-supervised despite heavy summer visitor numbers.
MK/AK/Sf/fss/abj/APA