Three youngsters in backflip video released

Dubai: Three youngsters who jumped from the Dubai Water Canal bridge were released after signing papers promising not to repeat the act, Gulf News has learnt.

Brigadier Abdullah Khadim, director of Bur Dubai police station, said the three boys as well as their parents signed the papers.

“We summoned the boys who confessed to what they did. They signed papers promising not to repeat the action again. Their parents also signed the papers promising that their boys won’t repeat it,” Brig Khadim said.

The three youngsters were arrested shortly after Major-General Abdullah Khalifa Al Merri, Commander-in-Chief of Dubai Police, ordered to take legal action against them for their reckless action.

A video went viral on social networks showing two teenagers jumping from the bridge just before sunset and one of them did a back-flip jump while wearing a white kandoura.

Brig Khadim said there will be no further action against the boys as they didn’t commit a crime but if they repeat the act, then a harsher legal action will be taken.

“Two people jumped and there were others encouraging them to jump while recording the video using a mobile phone camera. [The] Commander-in-Chief has ordered [us] to take legal action as their action endangered their lives. The bridge is not for such activities,” Brig Khadim said.

A team of officers identified the three youngsters within a few hours and summoned them for investigation to Bur Dubai police station.

He said the third young man in the video, who was recording, encouraged them to jump.

“Such behaviour is not acceptable and we will stand against it to protect the lives of young people who sometimes [act] without thinking of the results of their actions. Parents should monitor their children also and know their friends; the two teenagers were encouraged to jump by another person,” Brig Khadim added.