UAE teen drowns after slipping into unfenced Ras Al Khaimah dam

Ras Al Khaimah: A 16-year-old Emirati boy drowned after slipping into Athen dam in the Wadi Al Aeem area of Ras Al Khaimah, in a tragedy that has sparked renewed calls for stronger safety measures around open water bodies.

The incident happened shortly after Asr prayer, at around 4.30pm, on Sunday, when the teenager was riding a bicycle with his cousin near the dam, according to his father, Jumaa Ali Al Mazrouai.

Speaking to Gulf News, Al Mazrouai said the two boys stopped near the dam and began walking along the edge of the water before the teenager suddenly lost his footing and fell in.

“The dam was completely full of water and there was no fence separating the land from the water,” the grieving father said.

Al Mazrouai said his son and his cousin had mud and clay stuck to their feet while walking near the dam, prompting them to move closer to the water to wash off the dirt.

“The mud was very thick, and their feet got stuck in it as soon as they stepped in,” the father told Gulf News. “As my son tried to move, he slipped and fell into the water. It was the first time in his life he had ever gone to the dam.”

The victim’s cousin tried desperately to rescue him but was unable to pull him out and immediately called family members for help.

“The news struck me like thunder,” Al Mazrouai said. “We rushed to the scene and found my son floating in the water.”

He said he and his brother entered the dam in an attempt to save the teenager, but were unable to reach him because of the difficult water conditions and strong currents. Witnesses said the boy remained submerged for nearly one and a half hours before divers eventually recovered the body.

Emergency teams and ambulance crews later arrived at the scene, and the teenager was declared dead. The case was subsequently referred to forensic authorities as part of standard legal and medical procedures followed in drowning incidents.

The devastated father said he has six children, but lost one of them in the tragic accident.

“Now I have five children left,” he said.

The victim was a Grade 10 student.

The tragedy has left residents in mourning and intensified demands for urgent preventive measures at wadis and open water sites across the emirate. Community members said the area lacked even basic safety infrastructure, including warning signs, barriers and fencing around dangerous zones.

Residents also called for surveillance cameras and increased patrols in high-risk areas, particularly during weekends and busy periods when families and children gather near dams and valleys.

Many described the incident as a painful reminder of the dangers posed by unsecured natural sites and stressed the need for immediate action to prevent similar tragedies in the future.