Shahin Ahmed described the devastating moments he felt helpless trying to save his son, Musa, from the sea. Ahmed stated that the tragedy began unexpectedly, just 20 minutes before his family was scheduled to depart after a day out.
"One moment I was putting our belongings into the boot of the car. The next, I heard screaming," Ahmed recounted on a fundraising page. "I ran towards my family, only to find myself repeatedly pushed back by the force of the waves."
He reflected on the profound helplessness experienced in such a moment, noting, "As a father, every instinct tells you to protect your family. But standing before the sea, you quickly realise there are moments when love alone cannot overcome the force of nature."
Ahmed emphasized that the incident was not due to ignoring danger, stating, "The tragedy didn't begin because we ignored danger. It began because we never knew it was there."
Paying tribute to his son, Ahmed described Musa as a child with a bright smile that made others smile back. He was "bright-eyed, endlessly curious, and full of the kind of joy that filled every room he walked into." Ahmed added that Musa had a beautiful way of making people feel seen, greeting everyone with warmth, loving deeply, and always being the first to offer a helping hand. "Kindness came naturally to him. Helping others came naturally to him," he said.
"The story of Musa didn't end at the shoreline. That's where our responsibility began," Ahmed concluded.