Dad Account Girl Swept to Sea Casablanca Inaayah Makda 2026

Published: March 31, 2026. The English Chronicle Desk.

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The father of a seven-year-old British girl missing in Morocco has shared a harrowing account of the moment his daughter was swept into the Atlantic Ocean during a family holiday. Zubair Makda, from Blackburn, described the “terrifying” speed of the wave that struck his family on Wednesday, January 28, while they were sitting on rocks at a beach in Casablanca. Despite the “remarkable kindness” of local volunteers and a month-long search operation, young Inaayah Makda remains missing, with the family now pleading for continued international support to ensure “no possibility is left unexplored.”

Recalling the incident, Mr. Makda explained that the family had been enjoying a quiet afternoon by the shoreline when a “rogue wave” of immense force crashed over the rocks. “We were all hit at once,” he said in a statement supported by his local MP, Adnan Hussain. “The force of the water was unlike anything I’ve ever felt. Both Tasneem [Inaayah’s mother] and I were pulled in, and for a few seconds, everything was just chaos and white foam. When I managed to get my head above water and find a grip, Inaayah was already being pulled further out. I tried to reach her, but the current was too strong. That was the last time I saw her.”

The search for Inaayah, described by her parents as a “bright, loving, and gentle” only child, has been repeatedly hampered by the same extreme weather systems currently affecting global shipping and driving oil prices to $116. Storm surges and “orange alert” conditions in Morocco have periodically forced rescue divers and patrol boats to stand down, though shoreline searches have continued across accessible areas. The family, who initially criticized the speed of the UK Foreign Office’s response, confirmed they have now met with representatives from the British Embassy and are requesting a dedicated Family Liaison Officer to coordinate between Moroccan and British authorities.

The tragedy has sparked a massive wave of sympathy in the UK, with a community fundraiser in Blackburn raising more than £60,000 to assist with private search efforts and support for the family. As the search enters its ninth week, the Makdas remain “united in hope,” despite the smoldering ruins of the Baltic oil terminals and the regional war in Iran dominating the global news cycle. “Inaayah is not just a statistic,” her father urged. “She is a little girl who deserves every possible chance to be found. Please continue to keep her in your prayers.”

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