A 15-year-old Indian boy, studying in a school in Dubai, drowned in the sea during a trip to the beach with his family.

Ahmed Abdulla Mafaz got caught in the strong tidal currents off Mamzar Beach, Dubai, and went missing. Rescue workers from the Ports Police Station conducted an intensive search with drones and divers before recovering his body after more than 24 hours.

Mafaz had gone for a swim in the sea, along with his older sister Fathima. They both knew swimming but were caught in a strong tide. Fathima’s screams for help were heard by a passerby, an Arab national, who quickly responded and brought her to safety. Mafaz, who was with her, was carried away by the waves. His parents were at the beach when the tragedy struck.

The grieving father, Mohammed Ashraf, said, “We were all sitting on the beach and playing around in the water. I had just gone to the washroom when it [the tragedy] happened. I think there were huge waves and they [Fathima and Mafaz] got pulled by the strong current.” Ashraf said he and his family have no words to thank the person who saved his daughter Fathima.

Mafaz is one of four children. The family is devastated by the tragedy. – editor@nrifocus.com