Tuesday, August 09, 2016
Waseem Al-Muflehi and Yahye Mohamed are feared drowned . FACEBOOK/TWITTER
The search for two boys feared drowned off the Welsh coast was still going on last night.
Friends Waseem Al-Muflehi and Yahye Mohamed, both 15, went missing on Sunday after going swimming off Barmouth beach in Gwynedd, mid Wales.
The pair were part of a group of 500 visitors from the Somali and Yemeni communities in Birmingham.
A rescue helicopter, lifeboats and the police were involved in the search, battling against “choppy” conditions and strong winds.
Water rescue teams were stood down on Sunday.
But a shoreline search continued and resumed yesterday morning, with five coastguard rescue teams.
Ali Yafi, a cousin of one of the boys, said: “They were just playing in the water, having fun."
“It is so sad. We just want to thank the police and everyone who has helped in the search.”
Councillor Gethin Williams said the seaside resort was shocked by the incident.
He said: “This is a tight-knit community. It’s as if they were one of our own. This is the nearest beach to the West Midlands and we get thousands of visitors from the area.
“We know what the families of the two boys are going through.”