From terror to joy: Emirati describes moment he found 2-year-old lost on RAK mountain

Ras Al Khaimah - He found the two-year-old asleep in a hole on the mountain.

The Emirati who rescued the two-year-old who got lost in the mountains of Ras Al Khaimah on Saturday has described the moment he found the child asleep in a hole in Jabal Yanas.

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According to Al Bayan, local resident Adel Muhammad Al Jasmi had woken up for sunrise prayers when he saw reports of the missing child on one of his group chats. He immediately went to the search area and spoke to teams using trained search dogs that had already been on the site for about six hours.

Al Jasmi said that he began his search using a drone for over an hour. However, he had to abandon the tactic after its battery ran low. He proceeded to look for the boy on foot — and found him in a hole after about 100 metres.

‘’At that moment, I felt a mixture of shock and terror, fearing for the safety of the child after seeing him asleep and not moving," Al Jasmi said. But relief soon flooded through him when he touched the child. "Those moments turned into overwhelming happiness after seeing him open his eyes, hug me and start to cry,” he said.

The rescuer immediately informed the rest of the team who responded quickly, with the father hurrying over to embrace his son in tears. After being examined by first responders, the child was transferred to Saqr Hospital for further care.

Al Jasmi stressed that his efforts were inspired by the teachings of the late Sheikh Zayed and his approach of treating everyone in the UAE as one family.

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The group chat Al Jasmi first saw the reports on is led by known adventurer Hazza Fazza. The group includes about 20 professionals whose priorities have shifted from adventure sports to first aid and search-and-rescue operations since the onset of the pandemic.

Fazza urged families and individuals who visit the mountains to take adequate safety precautions and ensure they have the proper food, water and equipment required at all times.

Locals in the area worked with Ras Al Khaimah Police, Civil Defence Department, National Ambulance, National Search and Rescue Centre and a number of other entities in a joint operation to rescue the boy, who went missing from his family for 12 hours.

The child’s parents expressed their gratitude towards all the teams that contributed to the search and rescue of their child and for his safe return to their family.

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