RAK sea tragedy: Emirati, one Asian kid drown

A 20-year-old Emirati lost his life when he was swallowed by the sea off Ras Al Khaimah as he tried to rescue an Asian man with six children in turbulent water this week. One Asian boy also drowned while all the others survived.

Ahmed Salim was with two friends at the beach just behind the Saudi Institute in the northern emirate when they heard a boy screaming as he struggled against the waves on Wednesday. On that day, coast guards across the UAE warned fishermen and other people against going to the sea because of high waves and strong currents.

“The waves were very high on that day and we saw an Asian man swimming with six children aged between 11 and 13 years…we suddenly heard a boy screaming for help…I and my friend Saeed reached the boy and rescued him,” said Rashid Al Mazroui, who was with Ahmed and his relative Saeed Al Mazroui.

Quoted by Emirat Alyoum daily, Mazroui,17, said Ahmed went to rescue the other children while he and his friend phoned the coast guard in the area.

“We thought Ahmed had got out of the water but there was no trace of him…coast guard units which arrived in the area rescued the man and other children except one, who I think is that man’s son…it turned out later that our friend and that boy drowned….my friend Ahmed died trying to save that family.”

Mazroui said coast guard divers searching for Ahmed Salim later plucked his body out of the water but they could not find the drowned boy due to high waves and strong currents. On the next day, coast guard found the body of that boy after an extensive search operation, according to police operations chief, Colonel Ghanem Ahmed.

 

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