Dubai: Two Emirati children died after falling into a swimming pool in Mirdif area while their families were having iftar on Friday, Dubai police told Gulf News.
The one-and-half-year-old girl Suad and her two-and-half-year-old cousin Shehab, had some food during iftar time and then disappeared.
Brigadier Ahmad Thani Bin Gulaitha, head of Police Stations Council in Dubai Police, told Gulf News that police were alerted after iftar, the breaking of the fast, about the drowning incident in a swimming pool of a villa.
“The two children were relatives and they were having iftar. After some time, they (parents) missed the kids and searched for them. They found them drowned in the swimming pool,” Brigadier Bin Gulaitha said.
Ambulance and police patrols went to the home which shared the swimming pool with other villas, and tried to resuscitate the girl but she was pronounced dead on the scene.
The boy was taken to Latifa Hospital for treatment but died the next day (Saturday).
“There was a door from the kitchen leading directly to the swimming pool. Despite the villa’s owner making precautionary measures, it seems the door was left open by mistake,” Brigadier Bin Gulaitha added.
The children’s uncle Ahmad Al Hammadi, said that the girl’s mother was invited to have iftar at her sister’s home in Mirdif and that he wasn’t with them when the incident happened.
“My brother called me saying both children drowned in the swimming pool. Suad was the only child for her parents while Shehab has one sister and three older brothers. It is a tragedy and shocking news for the family,” Al Hammadi said.
The two children were buried on Saturday night in Khor Fakkan at Al Sharq cemetery.
“My sisters are still shocked about what happened. We were still in mourning as our father died four months ago, and my mother’s uncle died two weeks ago,” he added.
Constant watch
Brigaider Bin Gulaitha, urged the public to monitor their children at all times, especially near swimming pools to prevent such tragedies.
“Parents should be careful and lock the doors leading to swimming pools or put a fence around the pools as precautionary measures. Children at this age don’t know what to do — and the pool poses a great danger to them if left unattended.”
