Oroklini, Cyprus. Two young Somali women died on Thursday afternoon after going for a swim in the Oroklini area of Larnaca district. A search and rescue operation failed to reach them in time before they drowned.
Incident at the beach
According to a police spokesman, the two women, both aged 20 and residing in Cyprus on work permits, were part of a group that had gone to the beach. At one point, three of the women entered the water.
When they were swept away by sea currents near the breakwater, they began calling for help. Onlookers rushed to assist and managed to rescue one of the three bathers.
Search and rescue operation
In a statement, the Joint Rescue Coordination Center (Jrcc) said it launched a search and rescue operation in the area at 7.30pm.
The operation involved two police speedboats, a National Guard helicopter, a boat belonging to the lifeguards team stationed at Larnaca airport, a boat belonging to the Larnaca lifeguards club, and two ambulances.
Recovery and investigation
Rescue crews located the two women and recovered their bodies from the sea. They were taken to Larnaca general hospital, where doctors pronounced them dead on arrival.
Oroklini police station is investigating.
