Ras Al Khaimah: A teenager who saw his friend swept to his death on Sunday during an outing to watch the rain at Wadi Haqeel has said he felt helpless as he watched his friend’s pick-up truck disappear.
Emirati military officer Lieutenant Hassan Rashid Al Shamili had gone to the wadi in the Shamal area on Sunday, along with friends and family, when tragedy struck. Hassan, 22, was swept away in his pick-up at around 3.45pm. A number of people tried to save him but failed. The accident was immediately reported to the police operations room who sent a helicopter to search for the missing man.
Despite a massive police operation involving police officers and divers Hassan’s body was found only a day later at a farm in the area.
Khamis Al Tunaiji, 18, a Shamal resident, told Gulf News he could not believe what had happened.
“Hassan was standing with us and suddenly his car was swept away. The car disappeared from sight and we could not do anything. It was a horrific moment, really I cannot forget the scene.”
Hassan’s uncle, Mohammad Al Shamili, a RAK police officer, paid tribute to the young officer. He told Gulf News: “Hassan was loved by everyone and everybody had only the best things to say about him.”
Hundreds of people, including friends, neighbours and officials, attended his funeral on Monday morning at Haqeel mosque, he added.
He thanked Ras Al Khaimah Police and the Ministry of Interior for their extraordinary efforts to try to find Hassan. He added that Lieutenant General Shaikh Saif Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, sent a team of 150 police officers and divers to take part in the search operation.
“Three divers found his car but it was empty. Hassan went to his destiny. Death does not wait to take people’s souls. No one can expect when and where their death will be. May Almighty Allah bless his soul,” he added.
Heading to wadis to watch the rain is a common practice in the emirate.
Brigadier Mohammad Al Noubi, deputy commander general of Ras Al Khaimah Police, said police acted immediately once they received a call saying a man who had been in his car had been pulled into the wadi. He said police officials had repeatedly warned about the danger of going to wadis when it is raining.
Brigadier Al Noubi said the department’s helicopter had been on patrol round the clock rescuing people whose vehicles had become stuck in wadis.
