North Beach drowning

Undertow claims another life

North Beach has a cruel habit of wrecking a day at the beach.

On Sunday the winds began to pick up suddenly, creating large waves and luring unsuspecting beach goers into the churning water. But for one 48-year-old Scarborough resident, the decision to challenge the waves proved to be a terrible mistake.

The undertow at North Beach has proven to be treacherous in the past, claiming at least eight lives since 1991. Park officials say the geometry of the beach lends itself to creating a powerful undertow that pulls swimmers underneath the surface.

Red flags were posted, warning of dangerous waters, when Visu Vimalan ventured into the waves.At 5 p.m. family members pulled his lifeless body out of the water, another victim of the North Beach undertow.

Park officials and police strongly urge beach goers to monitor and respect the flag warnings. If the flag is red don’t enter the water.

If caught in an undertow, swimmers are advised not to fight the pull or thrash about.The best advice is to stay calm, something more easily said than done when being pulled underwater. The force of water will return the swimmer to the surface, though likely a distance from shore.