A father held back tears as he thanked the Egyptian man who saved his four-year-old daughter and her nine-year-old friend from drowning in Sharjah.
Heroic Kassem Mohammed, 25, recalled the moment on Saturday when he rescued the little girls at Al Mamzar beach. That evening he had stopped at the beach after work when he heard screams from the sea. Acting quickly, he swam out twice to bring each girl back to shore and performed CPR to keep them both alive.
Mr Mohammed, who works in Sharjah and has lived in the emirate for two and a half years, told The National that soon after hearing the screams, he saw two women pointing to their daughters. He asked the women to step back, threw his wallet, keys and mobile phone on the ground, and jumped into the water.
“I swam quickly and saw one girl. I couldn’t see the second girl and decided to swim back to the shore with the first girl,” he added. “I returned back searching for the second girl until I found her and swam back.”
A life-saving decision
The girls were nine-year-old Yaqeen, from Sudan, and four-year-old Kulthum bu Baker, from Mauritania. Neither girl was breathing when Mr Mohammed got them back to shore, but Yaqeen recovered after life-saving CPR on the beach. For little Kulthum, the ordeal wasn't over yet.
"Quickly ambulances and Sharjah Civil Defence arrived, transferring them to hospital,” said Mr Mohammed. “I didn’t hesitate a second to save their lives. It's part of our attitude to help people in need.”
Mohammed bu Baker, Kulthum's father, told The National that his pregnant wife took Kulthum to the beach with her Sudanese neighbours, and that he was not with them. He said the girls ran into the water while their mothers were bringing chairs from their car to sit on the beach, and that his daughter got into difficulties.
“Yaqeen tried to swim and rescue my daughter but she couldn’t and nearly drowned herself,” he said. “My daughter was in a critical condition for a couple of days but has woken up, and she left hospital on Tuesday.”
He thanked Mr Mohammed and Sharjah authorities for their quick response and saving the life of the two girls. “I thought I'd lost my girl forever. No words can describe my thanks to Kassem. He is a hero that saved my family,” Mr bu Baker said, with tears in his eyes.
“We are blessed to live in the UAE where people and government help each other. I will be forever grateful to Kassem and I plan to visit him.”
Civil recognition
Sharjah Civil Defence Authority honoured Mr Mohammed for his actions with a certificate of appreciation on Tuesday. Brig Yousef Al Shamsi, director general of the authority, said the humanitarian actions of people who help others are always appreciated.
“It is a heroic action. His quick response and bravery is appreciated. It shows community responsibility that we are working to spread among the public,” Brig Al Shamsi said.
The authority also took the opportunity to call upon the public to take precautionary measures in beaches and swimming areas. “We continue our efforts to raise awareness among children and families. Children should be always attended,” Brig Al Shamsi said.
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As a UAE-based travel agent who processes tourist visas from the Philippines, Jennifer Pacia Gado is fielding a lot of calls from concerned travellers just now. And they are all asking the same question.
“My clients are mostly Filipinos, and they [all want to know] about good conduct certificates,” says the 34-year-old Filipina, who has lived in the UAE for five years.
Ms Gado contacted the Philippines Embassy to get more information on the certificate so she can share it with her clients. She says many are worried about the process and associated costs – which could be as high as Dh500 to obtain and attest a good conduct certificate from the Philippines for jobseekers already living in the UAE.
“They are worried about this because when they arrive here without the NBI [National Bureau of Investigation] clearance, it is a hassle because it takes time,” she says.
“They need to go first to the embassy to apply for the application of the NBI clearance. After that they have go to the police station [in the UAE] for the fingerprints. And then they will apply for the special power of attorney so that someone can finish the process in the Philippines. So it is a long process and more expensive if you are doing it from here.”
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