Trump Sends Condolences to Families of Saudi Students Who Drowned

Bowen Xiao
8/21/2018
Updated:
8/21/2018

President Donald Trump has sent letters of condolence to the families of two Saudi students who accidentally drowned in June while rescuing two small children from a fast-moving river in Massachusetts.

The letters, dated Aug. 9, were sent to the families of Jaser al-Rakah and Theeb al-Yami.

“On behalf of the American people, I respectfully extend our sincere condolences,” Trump wrote to the families, according to a copy of the letters posted by the official Saudi press agency on Aug 18.
Authorities said the 27-year-old al-Yami of Hartford, Connecticut, and the 25-year-old al-Rakah of Springfield drowned after being swept away by the river’s fast-moving currents during the rescue. The children survived the ordeal.
Al-Yami, a student at the University of Hartford, and al-Rakah, a student at Western New England University, were in the United States on scholarships provided by the Saudi Arabian Cultural Mission, according to a statement.

The students were hailed as heroes.

“Jaser [and Theeb] exemplified tremendous courage by putting [their] own life at risk to save two distressed children from drowning in the Chicopee River. [Their] heroism represents the very best of humanity, and (their) noble actions will always be remembered,” Trump wrote in the letter.

He continued: “Melania and I send our thoughts and prayers to you during this sorrowful time. May you find strength in the inspiring legacy of (their) selfless sacrifice.”

Both students came into the U.S. to study engineering.

An earlier statement from the State Department also praised the students’ heroic actions.

“Their heroism represents the very best of the international students who enrich communities across the United States,” said spokesperson Heather Nauert. “Theeb and Jaser were among the 52,000 Saudi students studying in the United States who bring greater international understanding and diverse perspectives to U.S. campuses and communities, and to Saudi Arabia when they return home.”

Bowen Xiao was a New York-based reporter at The Epoch Times. He covers national security, human trafficking and U.S. politics.
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