National search efforts continue for missing child in Sur

​Muscat: Search efforts remain underway for 10-year-old Sbeet al Najadi, who went missing while swimming with friends at Shiya Beach in the Wilayat of Sur on the evening of September 30. He was caught in rough seas during a drowning incident.

​A joint operation is being carried out by the Coast Guard Police Unit, South Al Sharqiyah Governorate Police, Police Aviation, and the Civil Defense and Ambulance Authority (CDAA).

Search operations has involved various specialized agencies and teams and the search focuses on combing both marine and coastal areas, utilizing specialized diving and rescue teams as well as boats, in a continuous effort to locate the missing child.

​Members of the public, local volunteers, and private organizations have also rallied to assist. Social media campaigns in multiple languages are urging experienced divers and volunteers to join the search or share any relevant information. Wissam Masirah Marine Services Company is among the private entities responding to the call.

​Salah al Balushi, a local fisherman from Sur, set out with a friend early the next morning to support the official teams.

​'We set out at 6:00 a.m. in a small boat—just the two of us,' Al Balushi said. 'One operated the vessel while the other searched the water. We continued until 1:00 p.m., scouring various areas in hopes of finding him. Search operations are ongoing with police, volunteers, and residents, and we hope these collective efforts bring a reassuring outcome.'

​Volunteers are coordinating their search operations at the mosque on Shiya Beach. To support those on the ground, the Sur Zakat Committee and the Sur Volunteer Team are supplying water and meals to all search participants.