UAE: Father recalls final moments before Indian expat boy, 17, fell to his death
As reported by Gulf News on Friday, Alex Binoy, a student of Abu Dhabi Indian School, succumbed to his injuries at a hospital after falling from the window in his third-floor apartment in the Tourist Club Area.
Still reeling from the shock, his father Binoy Thomas on Saturday paid tributes to the youngest of his three sons and recounted the final moments before the teen fell from the window of his bedroom — a tragedy that has left many struggling for answers.
'My son was loved by everyone,' Binoy told Gulf News.
'He had the kind of personality that leaves a lasting impression, even if you met him just once. He was very active in extra-curricular activities. Our house is full of prizes he had won over the years,' he said.
Memorial mass
A special mass was held in memory of Alex at the St Joseph's Church in Abu Dhabi on Friday night. 'Many people from our community came from across the country as well as teachers and students. Everybody's social media pages are full of his photos. That shows how much he was loved. His teacher couldn't believe it when she was informed and she was devastated,' said the bereaved father.
The family belongs to the Knanaya Community hailing from the south Indian state of Kerala. Alex always took the lead at the annual camp of the community members and he was the leader of their children's group.
Binoy shared that his son had dreams of entering the film industry and becoming a director. 'I was so happy when he gave me a role in a short film that he had made.'
Alex was awaiting his Grade 12 CBSE Board exam results and had recently secured provisional admission to a mass media and communication course at a college in Bengaluru, Karnataka. 'He was also checking other options in Kerala,' Binoy said.
Last conversation
In fact, their last conversation was about college. 'I was in the hall, preparing a report I had to finish for work,' said Binoy, who works as a helicopter coordinator for an oil company in Abu Dhabi. 'We discussed the details of his admission and he told me about the other colleges he was considering.'
'After that, he went to his bedroom to take a nap. He hadn't locked the door from inside — it was just shut. His room has a sliding window, and he used to keep it open when the AC wasn't on.'
'I don't know what happened after that. He used to take reels and short videos. I don't know if he tried to take one then...'
'After some time, I got a call from the watchman,' he said, pausing. 'That's when I got to know... I don't want to talk more about it. We are struggling to overcome this phase,' the grieving father added.
Alex's mother, Elsy Binoy, a nurse at a clinic in Abu Dhabi, was at work when the tragedy struck. A severely injured Alex was rushed to a hospital that also manages her clinic. However, doctors could not save him.
Multi-talented, much loved
Roy Thomas, a long-term Abu Dhabi resident and a family friend, said more than 400 members of the community, including teachers and students, attended the mass. 'There were three priests to lead the prayers.'
He recalled Alex as the president of the students' body of the community. 'He was an all-rounder. He was the best camper and very good at speeches, sports and dancing. He used to write stories also.'
Manish Jose, a close family friend, said Alex was friendly with all and very helpful. 'I knew him from his childhood. When our families got together for festivals, he was the most active child, dealing with kids and elders alike. He was very creative and wanted to be a film director. His father was like a friend to him and fully supportive.'
He said he was touched by how much Alex was loved by all the people around him. 'We kept the requiem mass thinking that around 50–60 people might come. I think around 500 people attended. I saw many students. They were hugging each other and crying. People in his building were shocked and saddened. When I went to take some photocopies of his documents, the employee there refused to take money. He, the watchman and others were speaking so highly of how friendly and full of life Alex was.'
Manish said it was heartbreaking for him to help with the preparations of Alex's final journey home after an embalming session on Saturday evening.
Condolence assembly
Abu Dhabi Indian School held a special condolence assembly on Friday to pay tributes to Alex, said Neeraj Bharagava, the school's principal.
'We had certain programmes yesterday. We cancelled everything,' he said. Teachers and students prayed while the photo of Alex was displayed on a screen.
The principal said no one has been able to come to terms with the tragedy. He said Alex was good at both academic and co-curricular activities.
'He was an honest, cute and joyful boy. Everybody was so happy to see him,' he added.
Tearful adieu
The principal, teachers and school friends were among hundreds of people who gathered to pray for Alex after the embalming session on Saturday. Many became emotional and struggled to hold back their tears.
Alex's elder brothers, Dr Rahul Binoy, who lives in Kerala, and Rohit Binoy, who works in Poland, had landed in Abu Dhabi on Friday. Relatives from different countries also travelled to the UAE, and some family friends were also scheduled to accompany the family flying home with Alex's mortal remains on Saturday night. Alex is scheduled to be laid to rest at a church in his hometown in Kerala on Sunday.
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