Dead British climber was Emirates pilot

Dubai: A 31-year-old British national who met his demise on the slopes of Ghaleila mountains on Wednesday has been confirmed as a pilot who worked for Emirates airline.

The man who plummeted 1,000 metres to his death was confirmed late on Thursday as a First Officer for the Dubai-based airline company. He was identified as Toby James Marks.

“Emirates can confirm that a 31-year old British man whose body was found in Ras Al Khaimah on October 2 was employed as a First Officer with Emirates,” said an Emirates spokesperson in an emailed statement to Gulf News.

“While investigations continue, our sympathies go out to his family, who are currently being supported by our staff welfare team.”

Officials with the British Embassy said they were notified of the death of one of their national expatriates and are working with family members.

“I can say that the Embassy is aware of the death of a British national in Dubai and we are providing consular assistance to the family at this difficult time,” said a spokesman with the embassy yesterday.

Residents in the area told how they assisted police in the search for the missing man.

One man who helped in the search said: “There is no way the police would have found him without our help, local people are familiar with the area.

“It is very dangerous there, without any warning signs — there should be a warning sign there telling people not to go climbing in that area alone.

“We heard the climber sustained multiple fractures and didn’t die instantly when he fell.”

Members of the UAE climbing community, meanwhile, expressed sadness regarding the loss of a climber who reportedly enjoyed his mountain outings alone albeit the practice of scaling rocky heights by himself is not a generally accepted practice in climbing circles.

Climbing instructor Ivan Shyshkolkwy, who works with Dubai-based Dorell Sports, said yesterday that news of the tragedy hit home as climbers and hikers of serious note are constantly aware of the peril that awaits extreme sports buffs tackling great heights.

“This is very sad,” said Shyshkolkwy in an interview with Gulf News, noting that he really couldn’t understand the wisdom of tackling single handedly a mountain path topping more than 1,900 metres.

“You must go with other people, especially when climbing mountains. You would always use the buddy system,” he said. “You need someone to belay you. In extreme sports, you always need a friend to look out for your safety.”

A climber of 16 years, the Ukrainian expatriate said climbing and hiking is an extremely serious pursuit that can go disastrously awry if the most basic precautions are not adhered to.

“My advice to beginners is to go to classes and learn from the experts who know how to climb. New climbers need to learn how to use a harness, how to make a belay device and how to use ropes,” he said.

Another critical aspect of mountain climbing is proper use of ropes upon which life literally clings.

Use of inferior ropes has led to a long list of deaths in years past, he said.

He declined to speculate on what may have happened on Wednesday in the Ghaleila mountains but did say that “anything can happen. The rope can fall out of your hand. A rope can also break. Proper ropes are absolutely critical.”

Often, visual inspection is not good enough. Climbers must ensure that the ropes they are using are certified ropes used by rock-climbing enthusiasts because they meet very strict manufacturing specifications.

“Any rope can look good but may not be good at all. As well, even the best ropes must be inspected every year to make sure they are still safe to be used,” he said.