A BRITISH dad was killed in a horror jet ski accident as his partner watched on holding their four-month-old baby, an inquest heard today.
Ali Watson, 28, tragically died when a “speeding” jet ski ploughed into him in Dubai, a UK court heard today, almost five years after the tragedy.
Assistant coroner Luisa Nicholson concluded Ali died as a result of an accident.
The marketing manager had moved from the UK to Dubai with his partner Charlotte and their daughter, Soulie, in September 2020 in search of a better life.
The family relocated to the Emirates after Ali attracted an investor for his own business.
But just weeks later, on December 6, the young family’s dream came to a devastating end.
An inquest at Exeter Coroner’s Court heard that Ali had been on an organised boat trip on the day of the accident.
The owner of the boat had hired two jet skis, one of which Ali had been riding, when the other crashed into him.
The inquest heard that Ali had previous experience riding jet skis.
The other jet ski was being driven at high speed by an instructor with a female passenger riding on the back.
Moments before impact, the instructor’s passenger had leapt off the jet ski because she was scared by the speed it was travelling at, the court was told.
Ali was thrown into the air and fell face down into the water.
A post-mortem concluded he died of traumatic head injuries and blunt-force chest injuries caused by the crash.
There were no alcohol or drugs in his system.
He died at the scene as Charlotte watched helplessly from the nearby boat, holding their baby in her arms.
Coroner Luisa Nicholson read a statement from the UAE Ministry of Affairs which said a criminal case was filed against two men for causing death by mistake.
Suspended jail sentences and fines were later handed to those responsible for the crash.
Ali’s mum described her son as a “remarkable young man.”
She said: “His untimely death has left us utterly heartbroken. Nothing will fill the hole in our lives that Ali’s passing has left us with.
“We’ve lost a devoted son, a loyal brother, an amazing uncle, a loving partner, and a doting dad in horrific circumstances.
“The world is unquestionably a poorer place without him in it.”
