A 13-year-old Emirati boy drowned in Ras Al Khaimah while attempting to save his younger sister and two cousins from strong sea currents.
His father told Khaleej Times that the incident occurred around 5pm on Tuesday, April 14, when the boy, identified as Mohammed Ahmed bin Amer Al Shehhi, visited the beach with his extended family, including several young children.
According to the father, the children had been playing near the shore when sudden waves and strong currents pulled some of them further into the sea. Mohammed, the eldest among the kids, had earlier moved away from the water after noticing the worsening conditions.
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However, when he saw his seven-year-old sister and two cousins, aged eight and nine, being dragged further in by the current, he rushed back into the water to save them.
His father said Mohammed managed to pull his younger sister to safety and save her from drowning. The girl was later found unconscious having swallowed large amounts of seawater but showed signs of recovery after being revived.
Mohammed, however, became exhausted during the rescue effort. Relatives said he had swallowed a significant amount of seawater and lost strength before he could make it back to shore.
The father said he was still showing faint signs of life as rescue teams arrived, but he passed away before he could be taken to the hospital. Mohammed’s sister is in a stable condition now and has been discharged form the hospital.
Authorities were alerted to the incident shortly after it happened and emergency teams rushed to the scene. All the children Mohammed rescued survived the incident.
‘Like an elder brother to everyone’
Mohammed’s father described him as a caring and protective boy who was especially close to his younger siblings.
He said Mohammed was a polite, kind-hearted, and responsible boy who was deeply caring towards his siblings, particularly his younger sister. “He was like an elder brother to everyone, always taking care of them. He used to take them to the grocery store and buy them sweets,” he said.
The father said his daughter has been deeply affected by the incident and feels responsible for the death of her brother.
He also called on authorities to install more safety measures at the beach where the incident occurred.
Source: Khaleej Times