Two Pakistani friends, both 12, drown at Ras Al Khaimah’s Old Corniche

Two Pakistani boys, aged 12, tragically drowned at the Old Corniche beach in Ras Al Khaimah last Saturday, while the brother of one of them was rescued by an Egyptian young man who was swimming at the site.

The tragic incident, which claimed the lives of the two friends, has caused widespread grief and sorrow among the Pakistani community and the local population in Ras Al Khaimah and across the UAE.

The father of one of the children, Omar Asif Mohammed Asif, told Gulf News that his son and his friend, Hammad Asif, had gone to the sea unexpectedly, without the family’s knowledge. It was only the second time Omar had visited the beach, the first being with his uncle, although they did not swim then. He added that he had previously refused his son’s requests to go to the sea, fearing for his safety after hearing of past drowning incidents.

Omar’s father said he has lived in the UAE for 22 years and has two sons: the elder, Omar, who was among the victims, and the younger, aged nine, who survived the incident. The family owns a mobile phone shop in the Dehan neighborhood of Ras Al Khaimah. The drowning occurred near the beach, close to their shop, around 5 pm at the Old Corniche.

The grieving father recounted that they checked the shop’s Wi-Fi network, which Omar used daily. The records showed his last WhatsApp activity was at 4.13 pm, despite him not visiting the shop that day—he may have passed nearby and connected to the network. A nearby abaya store’s CCTV, located about 100 meters from their shop, captured the three children, including the two who drowned, walking along the street at 4.28 pm.

He added that he learned of his son and his friend’s drowning from a neighbour at the shop. He immediately tried calling Omar’s phone, and someone at the beach informed him that his son had been taken to Saqr Hospital in Ras Al Khaimah. He rushed to the hospital hoping to save his child, but tragically, Omar had passed away.

The body of Omar was recovered on Saturday at 6pm while the body of Hammad was recovered on Sunday around 8am.

“It was God’s will, and we accept it,” he said, noting that none of the three children knew how to swim. He also expressed his deep gratitude to Ras Al Khaimah Police for their efforts in trying to rescue the children.