A water sports and life-saving expert on Monday advised people to stay away from the shoreline when they visit seaside areas, saying unexpected tidal surges could easily wash them into the sea.

The comment follows the drowning of two siblings who fell into waters off Shek O on Sunday. Police believed they were taking photos near the sea when the accident happened.

Eric Li, a licensed coach with over 20 years of experience in water sports, said if an individual is unfortunately swept into the water, he or she should remain calm and call for help when possible.

“People may feel nervous and tense, and they may be very eager to swim back to the shore even if the water is rough so it is a waste of energy… because when the backwash is really strong, they can’t swim back to the shore … they will get tired and exhausted and they will sink,” he told RTHK.

“Stay calm and observe the surrounding areas. Keep a distance from the rocks and stay far away from things that may hurt you.”

Li also advised people to take off their clothing or backpack that may drag them down.

“The backpack or clothing may absorb some water… for example, if your clothing is made of cotton, it will absorb a lot of water and increase your weight. There is also space in your backpack to fill up with water, it will also be very heavy and can hinder your swimming or floating.”

Meanwhile, Patrick Yeung, vice-chairman of the Hong Kong China Life Saving Society, said people who do not know how to swim should always try to float on their back.

“Immediately try to protect the head from hitting the rock, try to maintain good breathing, float on your back and call for help, by raising one arm in the air,” he said.

“Keep calm because the human body has natural buoyancy.”

Yeung also called on the government to put up clearer warning signs near the shoreline to advice people against going too close to the sea.