A young British family's dreams were shattered when a father was killed in a horrific jetski accident in Dubai, witnessed by his girlfriend and their four-month-old baby daughter.
The Final Family Moments
Ali Watson, a 28-year-old entrepreneur from Coventry, had recently moved to Dubai with his partner Charlotte Lescott and their newborn daughter Soulie in search of a better quality of life. The couple were enjoying a boat trip with friends when they captured what would become their final family video together.
Under the bright Dubai sunshine, the happy trio played with their daughter aboard the boat. Charlotte appeared glowing with a healthy tan while Ali proudly held their adorable baby. The couple smothered Soulie with loving kisses during the clip, completely unaware these precious moments would be their last together.
The Tragic Accident
Just minutes after recording the family video, Ali, an experienced jetski rider, decided to head out onto the water. His partner Charlotte called out, "Be safe, I love you" - little knowing she was about to witness the last moments of his life.
The inquest at Exeter Coroner's Court heard that another jetski, travelling at high speed with a female passenger onboard, collided with Ali's watercraft. The passenger, who worked as a lifeguard, jumped off just before impact because she was frightened by the excessive speed.
Ali was thrown into the air and landed face down in the water, dying from blunt force chest wounds at the scene. A postmortem examination confirmed there were no alcohol or drugs in his system at the time of the crash, which was later ruled an accident by the coroner.
Financial and Emotional Aftermath
While suspended sentences and fines were given to those deemed responsible for the crash, this provided little comfort to Charlotte, who watched the love of her life die before her eyes.
The mother's nightmare continued when she discovered much of the couple's belongings were inaccessible because the shipping had been in Ali's name. To compound the tragedy, she found he had cancelled a life insurance policy, leaving her with "nothing" while on maternity leave.
"We had a lot of stuff in a shipment," Charlotte explained. "A lot of Soulie's clothes, the cot. I couldn't get it released to me because it was in Ali's name. Me and my baby had literally nothing."
Now, five years after the devastating incident, Charlotte uses her online platform to educate people about the importance of life insurance and encourage women to stay informed about family finances.
"I was embarrassed to ask family. I didn't want to say 'can you help me financially?'" she revealed. "Be aware of it for yourself. Don't just rely on him."
Despite the immense loss, Charlotte finds comfort in her daughter Soulie, who serves as a living reminder of her late partner. "If I didn't have her I would be lost," she said. "Soulie is very aware of her dad. She's got his eyes. She's such a ray of sunshine."
