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 and resident of the Al Mairid area in Ras Al Khaimah, was traveling with a group of friends from Abu Dhabi to Greece when the tragedy occurred. His friends survived the incident.
According to Al Khaleej, the group arrived in Athens before traveling directly to Mykonos. When they reached their hotel, they were told that check-in would only be available at 3pm.
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Bader, a skilled swimmer, suggested the group head to the beach while they waited for their rooms, the newspaper reported.
A strong sea current then swept Bader and his friends away, according to sources cited by Al Khaleej. He attempted to fight the waves but eventually lost consciousness. The report said the cause of death was diagnosed as cardiac arrest.
The newspaper also reported that Bader had exerted significant effort while battling the waves and was exhausted after a long journey with little rest or sleep.
Bader was his parents’ only son and had four sisters, according to Al Khaleej. His death has left his family and friends deeply shaken.
He was laid to rest at Al Hudaiba Cemetery in Ras Al Khaimah on Thursday after 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 poured in from relatives, community members, and social media users, who described Bader as kind-hearted and widely 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 expressed their gratitude to the UAE Embassy in Greece for its assistance following the incident and for arranging the repatriation of his body to the UAE.
The UAE Ambassador to Greece also contacted Bader’s father to offer 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 died in a road accident in Tunisia on July 4 while traveling with his mother.
