Ras Al Khaimah:
British Embassy officials are providing support to the family of a British national who plunged to his death on a solo climb in the rocky, mountainous terrain here on Saturday.
“We are providing consular support to the family of a British national who has died in the UAE,” an official told Gulf News on Sunday.
The British tourist fell to his death while hiking the upper extremities of the local mountain range near Al Beih.
Police said early medical examination indicated he died from severe injuries.
The ring of mountains running through Ras Al Khaimah is a popular destination for trekkers from the United Kingdom.
Emergency authorities responded after the RAK police operations room received a call on Saturday that a man had fallen from high in Al Beih valley.
“We contacted the police once we saw the man fall into the middle of the mountain,” Ahmad Al Sheihi, a RAK resident, told Gulf News.
The body of the climber was wrapped in a white sheet by authorities on a cliffside strewn with boulders before it was airlifted to hospital by a Sharjah Police Air Wing team on Saturday afternoon.
Police said the 22-year-old British man — identified only as J.A.F. — was unaccompanied on his mountain trek when tragedy struck.
Hospital officials, meanwhile, confirmed the tourist suffered severe injuries in the fall and died as a result.
Police officials urged tourists and residents to be cautious when visiting the mountains and not to venture out on such trips in the evening due to the remoteness of the area and poor light.
Police said the area requires special coordination by seasoned climbers.
The death comes almost four months after a British national of Pakistani origin died August 29 this year from heat exposure and dehydration while hiking on an Omani mountainside along the UAE border, according to Royal Oman Police (ROP).
UAE resident Bushra Farooqui succumbed to the elements after she inexplicably broke away from her 12-member hiking party and could not be located by Omani search and rescue parties.
Pete Aldwinokle, general manager of Global Climbing in Dubai and a 30-year veteran hiker, said in an earlier interview with Gulf News that hiking enthusiasts need to be prepared before they enter the rough terrain of the Arabian Peninsula to avert potential calamity.
“I do urge people to be honest about their capabilities and not underestimate the demands of the terrain and weather in this region. It is very savage countryside,” Aldwinokle said. “The terrain is very unforgiving from the time you leave your car. The rocks are sharp and the paths are unmarked.”
Ahmad Al Badri, a trekking expert, said that hikers should familiarise themselves with the trekking route before going.
Enough water, food, trekking shoes and a phone can help, he added.
