Tragedy struck an Indian family that had gone for a pleasant outing to a beach in the UAE’s Umm Al Quwain but ended in the mother getting drowned.
Police said the victim – a 32-year-old Indian woman – along with her husband, son and daughter had gone for a swim in the sea off Al Beit Al Mutwahid Beach at Umm Al Quwain emirate in the UAE on Friday morning.
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However, the tide was rough and when the current began pulling them seawards, the woman and daughter began struggling in the water and screamed for help while her son and husband managed to swim ashore safely. As he was exhausted by swimming back to shore, the 49-year-old man shouted loudly for help in saving his drowning wife and daughter.
His desperate cries were heard by passing beachgoers who rushed into the sea and pulled out both mother and daughter. The duo were however in a critical condition and were rushed to the Umm Al Quwain Hospital by a police emergency response squad.
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The woman passed away a few minutes later in the hospital, while the daughter survived and was reported to be in a stable condition, police said.
Police Director Brig Khalifah Salim Al Shamsi has urged swimmers venturing into the sea to take precautions and avoid swimming in restricted areas. Emphasizing the need for wearing floaters and life jackets to prevent drowning, he also advised parents to watch over their children at all times. (AW)