Three friends went swimming in the sea in Ostend on Sunday evening after the lifeguards had left. Two of them no longer noticed their friend a moment later. His clothes were found on the beach.
A large search was carried out, but was stopped shortly before midnight due to darkness. Eventually, it was discovered that the Ukrainian had travelled to Aalst by train in his swimsuit.
“This is irresponsible,” says the mayor. Bart Tomlin“Nerves are already frayed here after two people drowned and lost their lives at our seaside resort this summer. It is a traumatic experience for everyone involved.”
The mayor added that such an operation also costs a lot of money. Although the man would not or could not afford to pay the costs, as he appears to be homeless. “Such an operation quickly amounts to tens of thousands of euros. And it is the taxpayer who has to pay for it.” In Q-Music, Tommelein gave an overview of the costs. “The Flemish government rescue boat, ORKA, costs around 675 euros per hour. If the NH90 rescue helicopter, the successor to the Sea King, is used, it costs around 10,000 euros per hour. Then there are all the costs of the emergency services. That comes to at least €135 per hour per person. “Then there are also the costs of materials: the fire brigade’s rescue boat costs €65 per hour, the ladder truck €95 per hour,” concludes Tomelin. Follow Redactie24 now also on WhatsApp Zombie specialist. Friendly twitter guru. Internet buff. Organizer. Coffee trailblazer. Lifelong problem solver. Certified travel enthusiast. Alcohol geek.