Cops saved Saudi child from drowning

Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior honoured the bravery of police corporals Khaled Abdel Hamid Al Ali and  Saif Omar Al Menhali; commending their dedication and goodwill to helping others.

These remarks were made by Sheikh Saif during the ceremony held on Tuesday in his office at the Abu Dhabi Police GHQ. Furthermore, he lauded the two corporals’ efforts and quick thinking in rescuing the Saudi child Abdullah Salem Abdullah Al Hamami and providing him with the appropriate first aid pending the arrival of the paramedics to transfer him to the hospital for further treatment.

For his part, the child’s father extended his heartfelt thanks and sincere gratitude to Sheikh Saif for inquiring about Abdullah’s health condition. He said that he received a phone call from the Sheikh while the child was recovering at the hospital, which brought joy to the family’s heart.

"His call made us feel like we were amongst family,” he added.

Moreover, the child’s family expressed their appreciation and admiration for the courage and bravery of the two police officers who saved their son.

The courage and vigilance of two police officers from Al Rahba Police Station at the Peripheral Regions Police Directorate, prevented the drowning of the 7-year-old child, Abdullah Salem Abdullah Al Hamami, in Al Shalila area in Abu Dhabi.

The two police officers rushed into the water and pulled the child, unconscious, to shore where they administered first aid and started performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on him to restore circulation of oxygen-rich blood and help him spit out water.

Corporal Khaled Abdul Hamid Al Ali recounted the circumstances of the child drowning incident. “While on duty in our patrol car, my colleague, Corporal Saif Omar Al Menhali and I, noticed a child off the shore of Al Shalila beach, and another agitated person gesturing like crazy on the beach calling for help. I immediately reacted to the situation, jumped out of the car and ran into the water, towards the child who was unconscious and exhibiting abdominal swelling for having swallowed large quantities of water. I pulled the child to shore and started performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on him to restore circulation of oxygen-rich blood, to prevent cardiac arrest and make him regain consciousness,” explained Corporal Al Ali.

He added, “As I was pulling the child to shore and out of the water,  my colleague, Al Menhali called the Operations Room to report the incident.

Ambulance crews and police were immediately dispatched to the incident scene and carried out the necessary medical procedures to stabilize the child’s condition prior to transferring him to Al Mafraq hospital for further treating his breathing difficulty.”

The Abu Dhabi Police reminded parents to always watch their children when they go swimming in the sea or any other places, so as to avoid unfortunate accidents.

Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.