Al Ain firefighter honoured for rescuing child from well

The firefighter who saved one of four children who fell into a well in Al Ain has been honoured by Abu Dhabi Civil Defence.

ABU DHABI // A firefighter who rescued one of four Emirati children who fell into a well in Al Ain has been honoured by Abu Dhabi Civil Defence.

The Ministry of Interior said Nasser Al Oraimi from Al Hili fire department in Al Ain had been recognised for his heroic role in saving the four-year-old.

Col Mohammed Al Ansari, director general of Abu Dhabi Civil Defence, met Mr Al Oraimi to thank him for his courage and devotion in the line of duty, describing him as a model of courage for civil defence officers who put their lives on the line to save others.

The three other children, from two related families, died on Wednesday after falling into a well at one of the family homes in Al Nayfa. They had been playing near the well when the wooden lid covering it collapsed, reported Aletihad, the Arabic-language sister paper of The National, last week.

The report quoted an emergency official in Al Ain as saying that a rescue team had been sent to the home as soon as the report was received, but it was too late for three of the children.

Police have urged parents and guardians to look after children when they are playing outside, and to make sure wells are properly covered.