Three tourists from Dhaka lost their lives and two others went missing after being swept away by strong waves while swimming at Himchhari beach in Cox's Bazar. The tragic incident occurred on Wednesday afternoon around 4:30 PM near the Marina Resort museum area along the Cox's Bazar-Teknaf Marine Drive. The deceased have been identified as Md Borhan (23), Saiful Islam (23), and Nafisul Haque (22), all hailing from the Uttara Diabari area of the capital.
According to police and lifeguard sources, a group of 12 tourists had travelled from Dhaka to enjoy a vacation in Cox's Bazar. On Wednesday afternoon, they visited the scenic Himchhari beach. Out of the 12 members, five young men ventured into the sea for a swim. Suddenly, a massive, powerful wave struck the area, pulling all five of them under the strong undertow. Hearing their cries for help, local residents and professional lifeguards stationed at the beach immediately rushed into the water to initiate a rescue operation.
Lifeguards and locals managed to rescue three members of the group from the turbulent sea, but unfortunately, they had already succumbed to drowning by the time they were brought ashore. Their bodies were later transferred to the morgue at Cox's Bazar Sadar Hospital for necessary procedures. The tragic loss has cast a pall of gloom over the tourist destination and left the families of the victims devastated.
Following the incident, a frantic search and rescue operation was launched to find the remaining two missing tourists. Personnel from the Fire Service and Civil Defence, beach workers, and the private lifeguard company Sea-Safe deployed teams to scour the coastal waters. Despite exhaustive searches conducted until 7:30 PM, the two missing individuals could not be located. Rescue operations faced challenges due to approaching darkness and turbulent sea conditions, but authorities confirmed that efforts to find them would resume.
Ramu Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) AK Fazlul Haque confirmed the casualties, stating that police and local administration are closely monitoring the situation. The bodies of the three deceased tourists have been kept at the hospital morgue, and further steps are being taken in coordination with their families.
Imtiaz Ahmed, regional director of Sea-Safe, emphasized that despite continuous safety warnings and red flags posted along the coastline, tourists frequently ignore safety protocols and venture into dangerous sea currents, particularly during rough weather conditions. Experts and local tourism stakeholders have reiterated the urgent need for heightened vigilance and strict adherence to lifeguard instructions to prevent such preventable tragedies along Cox's Bazar's vast coastline.
