Vessel taking in water prevented from sinking in Dubai creek

Dubai Dubai Police's Sea Rescue Section helped prevent the sinking of a vessel laden with 400 tonnes of rice in the Dubai Creek last Thursday.

Captain Yahya Hussain, the Head of Dubai Police's Sea Rescue Section, said there were eight sailors aboard the vessel when his personnel responded to a rescue call.

It was taking in water through a hole in the hull as a result of overloading.

He said that as soon as the Control and Command Room received the alert, sea rescue personnel and divers were deployed on the accident scene. The teams were able to unload the ship in cooperation with Dubai Civil Defence to pump out the water using sea rescue machines.

The divers were then deployed to check the location of the leak.

Captain Hussain said the rescue and civil defence teams prepared a programme to keep the ship floating after unloading it so as to get it out of the creek.

He said the operation had to be carried out fast so as to pre-empt the tide and prevent a sunken vessel posing navigation hazards.

The rescue team was able to pull the ship out of the creek. No human casualties were reported.

Captain Yahya Hussain said the rescue and civil defence teams prepared a programme to keep the ship floating...