Ras Al Khaimah government employee dies after being swept away by strong currents while swimming with friends shortly after arriving in Mykonos.
A 35-year-old Emirati man from Ras Al Khaimah drowned off the Greek island of Mykonos on Monday while swimming with friends during a holiday, according to a report by Al Khaleej newspaper.
Bader Abdullah Mohammed Al Harmi, a government employee from the Al Mairid area of Ras Al Khaimah, was travelling with a group of friends from Abu Dhabi to Greece when the incident occurred. His friends survived.
According to Al Khaleej, the group first arrived in Athens before travelling directly to Mykonos. After reaching their hotel, they were informed that check-in would not be available until 3pm.
Bader, who was a skilled swimmer, suggested that the group head to the beach while they waited for their hotel rooms, the newspaper reported.
According to sources cited by Al Khaleej, a strong sea current then swept Bader and his friends away. He tried to battle the waves but eventually lost consciousness. The report said the cause of death was cardiac arrest.
Al Khaleej also reported that Bader had exerted considerable effort while struggling against the waves and was exhausted after a long journey with little sleep or rest.
Bader was his parents’ only son and had four sisters, according to the newspaper. His death left his family and friends deeply shocked.
He was laid to rest at Al Hudaiba Cemetery in Ras Al Khaimah on Thursday, following funeral prayers at Al Diwan Mosque in Al Mamourah. His body arrived at Dubai International Airport at around 5am that day on an Emirates flight.
Tributes were shared by relatives, community members and social media users, who described Bader as kind-hearted and well loved.
Friends and well-wishers also launched a campaign in his memory, raising enough funds to complete the construction of two mosques and a water well in his name before his burial, Al Khaleej reported.
Bader’s family thanked the UAE Embassy in Greece for its support following the incident and for helping arrange the repatriation of his body to the UAE.
The UAE Ambassador to Greece also contacted Bader’s father to convey his condolences, according to Al Khaleej.
The incident comes weeks after another Emirati from Ras Al Khaimah died while on holiday abroad. A UAE child was killed in a road accident in Tunisia on July 4 while travelling with his mother.
