Lost Indian toddler saved by Emirati from RAK mountains

Our Correspondent

Emirati Adel Muhammad Al Jasmi rescued a two-year-old Indian boy who got lost in the mountains of Ras Al Khaimah on May 23 where his family had gone for an outing. The child was asleep in a hole in Jabal Yans when Al Jasmi located him.

Al Jasmi had woken up for sunrise prayers when he saw reports of the missing child in a Whatsapp group called Hazza Fazza that concentrates on search-and-rescue operations. He immediately went to the search area where teams had been searching all night using trained search dogs.

Al Jasmi started his search using a drone for over an hour but had had to give up after the drone’s battery ran low. He then proceeded to look for the boy on foot and found him about 100 metres away. To his relief, the child opened his eyes and started crying for his father. He was unhurt save for minor scratches.

The little boy was asleep in a lonely mountainous environment that has snakes, scorpions and other reptiles, animals and birds. He was was only 4-5 metres away from the steep slope that overlooked a valley.

He then informed the rest of the team and they arrived at the scene quickly. The child was transferred to Saqr Hospital for further medical care.

The boy’s rescue operation was done by local people in the area who worked with Ras Al Khaimah Police, Civil Defence Department, National Ambulance, National Search and Rescue Centre and a number of other entities.

The boy had been missing from his family for 12 hours before they located him. Since the family was travelling in a group, the parents assumed the child was with other children in the group after they had alighted at a spot.

Authorities urged visitors to mountainous and rugged areas to adhere to general safety precautions and keep children under close supervision to ensure safety and minimise risks.

Ras Al Khaimah Police honoured Hazza Saeed Al Habsi and Adel Muhammad Al Jasmi for helping authorities reunite the boy with his family.