Three drown swimming in reservoir near Aqaba

AMMAN — Three people, including two children, drowned late Sunday night while reportedly swimming in a reservoir in Aqaba Governorate, official sources said.

The victims, two brothers aged 13 and nine, and a 40-year-old man, drowned in a reservoir near Bier Mathkour, some 140 kilometres from Aqaba city, a Civil Defence Department (CDD) official told The Jordan Times.

“We believe that the two children went to swim in the reservoir and drowned, and that the 40-year-old man went to the rescue and drowned as well,” the CDD official said.

The three are believed to be residents of the area, the CDD official said, adding that “it was hard to reach them because the terrain was rough and could not be reached by vehicles”.

“The minute we heard of the incident, we rushed to the area and our divers and rescue personnel had to walk for over 20 minutes to reach the victims, who were already dead,” the CDD official added.

A second source told The Jordan Times that an official autopsy will be conducted on the three victims at the National Institute of Forensic Medicine.

“It is a routine measure in such cases,” the second source said.

Meanwhile, the CDD official urged citizens to stay away from reservoirs and “not to swim in such dangerous places, which are not meant for swimming.”

“We constantly issue warning bulletins asking people, and especially children to stay away from reservoirs because they are not suitable or safe,” the CDD official said.

The CDD official added that the bottoms of reservoirs are filled with sediment and mud that suck people down.  “Once you go to swim, you cannot return to the surface,” the CDD official warned.