A thick layer of foam fr algae that formed on that specific spot N of Scheveningen harbour entrance. Up to 1 meter high. That maybe disorientated them or they even weren’t able to breath properly - Image by Frenkie

Authorities in the Netherlands said Wednesday they were suspending until the next morning a search for a surfer who was last seen slipping beneath the water’s surface Monday. The 23-year-old man was among five experienced surfers who died amid what was described as an “avalanche” of sea foam off the coast of The Hague.

One surfer was rescued, according to the Royal Netherlands Sea Rescue Institution (KNRM), but the sea foam, along with rough waters and high winds, impeded efforts by first responders and the Dutch Coast Guard. Two surfers were pronounced dead Monday, and the bodies of two others were retrieved Tuesday from the North Sea waters at Scheveningen, one of the country’s most popular destinations for the sport.

The sea foam, estimated to be as much as six feet deep, could have made it difficult for the surfers to get back on their boards and to see where they were in relation to the coastline. The victims, who hailed from The Hague and nearby Delft, ranged in age from 22 to 38 (per the Guardian).

“Young, physically fit, sporty people who know the sea like the back of their hand somehow got into trouble,” the acting mayor of The Hague, Johan Remkes, said Tuesday in a statement.

“People here understand better than anybody else that the sea gives and the sea takes,” Remkes added. “But the way in which so many young lives ended abruptly and so many families and groups of friends have been affected is incredibly brutal.”

Pat Smith, elected in March as the “night mayor” of The Hague, said he knew two of the surfers “very well” because, like him, they were internationally trained lifeguards.

“They were busy training [on Monday]," Smith said . “They then disappeared under the foam like it was some sort of avalanche.”

To locate victims, the Coast Guard used a helicopter to try to blow away some of the sea foam. Joining emergency services Wednesday in the search for the fifth surfer was the Dutch Ministry of Defense, which brought in equipment to search underwater. Police reportedly said that the survivor was a 40-year-old man who returned home after receiving medical attention.

In late March, the Holland Surfing Association posted novel coronavirus-related guidelines, including avoiding contact with others and keeping a distance of 1.5 meters, approximately five feet. It noted that organized lessons and competitions were barred by the Dutch government but that recreational surfing was allowed on the basis of individual responsibility.

Unlike European countries that responded to the global pandemic by imposing strict shelter-in-place measures, the Netherlands opted for a more relaxed approach that has been dubbed “intelligent lockdown” (via CBS News). While restaurants, bars and museums there have shut down and people are advised to stay at home as much as possible, they have the freedom to move about as long as they stay five feet away from each other.