How Two Dubai Residents Helped Bring Two Missing Girls Home
What started as a regular evening at the mall turned into something much bigger for a Dubai couple who helped reunite two missing six-year-old girls with their families.
On the evening of February 4, Otavio Soccol and his wife Gabriella were at a mall in Dubai Hills when they noticed two young girls standing alone near a store’s cash counter. The kids looked confused and were picking up money scattered on the floor. Store staff mentioned the girls had been there for nearly two hours, and no one knew where their parents were.
Around the same time, Otavio saw a message pop up in a school parents’ WhatsApp group — two children from the neighbourhood were missing. He pulled up the photos that had been shared and compared them to the girls standing right in front of them. It clicked. These were the missing kids.
They didn’t waste any time. Otavio and Gabriella immediately alerted mall management and asked them to call the police. While they waited, Gabriella stayed with the girls, speaking to them gently and keeping them calm. The couple also recorded a quick video showing the children were safe and sent it to the parents to let them know their daughters were okay.
Dubai Police later confirmed that the two girls had wandered off from their residential area on their own, but thankfully, they were found unharmed.
What really stood out was how fast the community responded. Residents across Dubai Hills were sharing updates through WhatsApp groups and social media, coordinating efforts to find the girls. It was a real show of how connected and supportive the neighbourhood is.
Looking back on it, Otavio said the experience was humbling. He talked about how important it is for everyone to stay alert and look out for each other. He also praised Dubai for being a safe city with strong community networks and quick response systems that made all the difference in getting the girls home safely.
It’s a good reminder that sometimes, just paying attention and taking action when something feels off can change everything.
