9-yr-old Child killed after his father's car fell in Suez Canal; Rescue Diver reveals more details about accident

CAIRO – 1 April 2021: A private car carrying a four-member family has fallen in the Suez Canal at Port Said, leading to the death of a nine-year-old boy.

 

The car was onboard of a ferryboat crossing the canal from Port Fuad to Port Said when it fell in the canal. The car was at the stern of the ferryboat and fell into water after it rolled back.

 

However, the child was stuck inside the car while it was sinking, said Mohamed Galal El Din, Suez Canal Diver who participated in the rescue mission and got the boy alive in 25 minutes.

 

“When the incident took place at Wednesday evening, one of the rescue team called Karim Yassin heard a big voice caused when the car fell from the ferry’s gate into the water. He rushed to the incident site and called me while I was waiting for the ferryboat,” said Galal El Din in an interview with Egypt Today.

 

“Immediately I called Port Said Rescue department and left my car at a queue outside the entrance of the ferry. Then, I took a launch and wore a diving suit with other diving equipment from the emergency unit,” he continued, adding “I found the child stuck inside the car but managed to get him out in less than 25 minutes. He was alive but died later in the hospital.” 

 

“I have not slept since I saw the child's situation,” said the 37-year-old diver.

 

Galal and his colleagues at the Suez Canal are facing such dangerous situations, but their main goal is how to save the lives of people as fast as possible regardless of the dangers they could face.

 

“We do not care about the dangers. We have to respond quickly as the matter relates to people,” he said, noting that the situation of rescuing people could be difficult if anyone who drawn was pulled away by the water currents.

 

 

“Divers could face death while they do their job,” said Galal El Din, speaking about one of the most difficult moments of his life when he was trying to check an aground ship in Port Said.

 

“When I was checking how far the ship’s bilge is away from the seabed, I was at the middle beneath the ship and suddenly found a giant ship coming near to me. It was 70 meters away. My colleague, who was on a launch, could not pull me up fast and the helpline was stuck,” he said, continuing “the aground ship has moved and became above me.  I felt as if I were in a laundering machine. Then, I found myself moved to the ship’s propellers.”