A faulty water cooler stationed outside a residence near an Al Ain park delivered the electric shock that killed eight-year-old Walid Khaled, whose death has prompted fresh alarm over the hazards of poorly maintained electrical equipment in public spaces.
The account of what happened came largely from Ahmed, Walid’s nine-year-old brother, who had been playing nearby with Walid and other children. He described how one boy walked up to the cooler—a fixture the group had relied on regularly for drinking water—and dropped without warning. “He suddenly fell to the ground after touching it,” Ahmed recounted. Believing the collapse was a joke, Walid moved in for a closer look.
Ahmed himself reached out toward the fallen child and felt a jolt of current run through him, snatching his hand back in time. Walid was not as fortunate. “Walid thought it might have been a prank and went closer to check on him,” Ahmed said, before the younger boy touched the cooler and fell. “I ran home immediately to tell my parents what had happened.”
The child’s father recalled the terror of that moment through his surviving son’s words. “My son came running towards us, terrified, and told us that Walid was lying on the ground,” he said. The parents hurried to the park, discovered Walid unresponsive, and summoned an ambulance. Hospital staff were unable to revive him and pronounced him dead.
Gulf News reported that the day had begun with ordinary anticipation. Walid had readied himself for the return to classes—filling his school bag, sorting his supplies, and looking forward to a shopping trip for his sports uniform—before heading out to play with his older brother and friends.
Staff at Walid’s school mourned openly, remembering a courteous and warm-hearted pupil who was well regarded by those around him. Administrators offered prayers for his grieving parents and siblings.
The circumstances have renewed calls for vigilance around defective or neglected appliances, especially electrical fixtures situated where children gather and play.
