Hundreds of people gathered in Plumstead Common in south-east London for the funerals of five young friends who died during a day trip to Camber Sands. Kenugen Saththiyanathan, 18, and his brother Kobikanthan Saththiyanathan, 22, both from south-east London, drowned at the popular East Sussex beach on 24th August. Their friends Nitharsan Ravi, 22, Inthushan Sriskantharasa, 23, and Gurushanth Srithavarajah, 27, also died.
The five youngsters were remembered at a Hindu ceremony on Sunday which began at dawn. There was an emotional outpour among the relatives and friends who had gathered, as the coffins were carried into marquee tents. A crowdfunding page to help pay for the funerals raised more than £9,000.
The former mayor of Harrow, Councillor Krishna Suresh said the incident was “a big tragedy for the Tamil community”. He said that in times like this the community came together, and praised the group of friends, saying they had done a lot of volunteer work.
Sai Yoghananthan, from the Camber Sands Boys’ Funeral Committee and a family friend, said : “The message we want to get out today is about beach safety. There was no lifeguard there. Our families can’t bear the thought of anyone else suffering like they have. We are a tight-knit community and our boys were at the heart of it. We will never forget them.”
The issue of the lack of lifeguards at Camber Sands was highlighted during the funerals. Family members say they might have survived if the beach had been manned. MP for Eltham, Clive Efford said: “Questions need to be asked about how we arrange safety on our beaches.”
A petition for the posting of lifeguards at Camber Sands during the summer has been signed by more than 8,000 people. RNLI lifeguards have been deployed at the beach since the tragedy.
