In the Maysan province of Saudi Arabia, a heartbreaking incident occurred, resulting in the deaths of a father and his daughter due to floods that swept through the area. Seventy-year-old Abdullah bin Muhammad Al-Suhaili Al-Maliki from Hidad Bani Malik, along with his thirty-year-old daughter, drowned in the floods caused by the heavy rains in the province. Meanwhile, the mother and another daughter managed to survive, as their son, named Abdul Rahman, carried his father, mother, and two sisters to safety, risking his life by entering the floodwaters that had swept away their father's vehicle.
Regarding the details of this incident, Abdul Rahman told the newspaper "Sabq": "After the heavy rains stopped late the night before last, while the family was inside our home in the Al-Aqdah village in Hidad Bani Malik, my sisters asked my father to go see the aftermath of the rains and floods despite my mother's objections. But their fate was sealed, and my father replied, 'By God, I won’t leave it on my daughters’ minds… we’ll go.’"
Abdul Rahman continued: "Indeed, they took our father’s Lexus SUV, which he drove, accompanied by my mother and my sisters. They saw many valleys in the area during a quick tour, as if it were a farewell visit. When they returned home, my sisters asked to see the (Wadi Shanab) located below our house, which had flowed for the first time in several years."
He added: "My father went down again in his vehicle to the valley near the house, and there he was caught by the strong flood, which swept the vehicle away. At that moment, I received a call from my younger sister (21 years old), who was crying out for help, saying 'Where are you? Help us! The flood has swept us away...’ This prompted me to quickly move towards them."
He elaborated: "I kept searching in the valley, from all directions, amid the strong flood, facing great difficulties until I saw my father’s vehicle in the floodwaters in the dark of the night. I recognized it by the red brake lights, which were submerged in the floodwaters. I then reported to the civil defense, who arrived at the scene after several relatives I had called for assistance."
"I saw my younger sister waving her hand for help and heard her voice as well. At that moment, I could no longer wait, so I used some ropes and risked my life for them. I entered the floodwaters, which nearly swept me away, and fell several times, but by God's will, I managed to reach them, secured the wire to the SUV, and then it was pulled a short distance. I was able to rescue my father, mother, and sister and transported them until they were handed over to the Red Crescent after I confirmed that my mother and younger sister were alive, while my father and older sister had drowned."
He concluded: "After they were admitted to Al-Quraih Hospital, the doctors informed us that my father was alive. He remained in the resuscitation room for about an hour, but he later died drowning alongside his daughter."
