A Saudi family’s holiday in Switzerland ended in tragedy when Dr. Abdullah Alanazi died after jumping into Brienz Lake trying to save his drowning 2-year-old son over the weekend.
A prominent doctor and head of the research unit at the College of Applied Medical Sciences in Riyadh, Alanazi was reported by Saudi media to have been on a family vacation when the tragedy occurred.
The family was spending a day at the Giessbach Waterfalls in Brienz Lake near the Swiss Alps.
Reportedly, Alanazi’s son Abdulaziz was said to have slipped down into the waterfalls as the family took photos. The doctor immediately jumped after his drowning son in an attempt to save him, but the two were swept away by the strong currents and disappeared in front of the eyes of Alanazi’s weeping and traumatized wife and daughter.
Swiss police and rescue teams arrived at the scene shortly after the incident and launched immediate search and rescue operations that were purported to have lasted two days until Alanazi’s body was recovered. The search for Abdulaziz’s body continues. Media reports said helicopters and boats were also used during the search operation.
The Saudi Embassy in Switzerland and King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences offered condolences to Alanazi’s family.
Meanwhile, the doctor’s wife was cited in some media reports as saying that on that day, they did not intend to go out, but Alanazi insisted on going to the waterfalls, which are located 50 minutes away from where they had been residing. She was allegedly told by some people who were present there that the waterfalls were easily reachable and suitable for children.
She claimed that her husband asked her to hold their daughter’s hand while he held Abdulaziz’s hand. But while they were taking photos, their 2-year-old let go of his father’s hand suddenly, lost his balance and fell into the water.