Dubai Police rescue seven people stranded at sea after boat malfunctions

Dubai: Dubai Police rescued seven people trapped in a rented boat off Dubai coast after they had sent an SOS via the police smart application.

The seven men had rented the boat for a sea cruise when the boat halted in the middle of the sea due to a problem with the engine’s battery.

Brigadier Nabeel Abdullah, Deputy Director of Operations, Dubai Police, said they received the SOS with the location of the boat. “Maritime Rescue patrols went immediately to the boat’s location and communicated with the seven people. First aid was provided to two of them who were suffering from seasickness. All of them were transferred to police boats and returned safely to land,” said Brig Abdullah.

Moreover, Kamal Azhran, one of the seven people on the boat, said that he was the one who had sent the SOS through the Dubai Police application after they were trapped in the middle of the sea. “We rented the boat and went on a sea cruise when the boat halted. The boat’s captain couldn’t communicate with the tourist company to get any support. I then decided to use my smartphone to send an SOS to Dubai Police,” Azhran said. The SOS message sent to Dubai Police command room had the location of the boat.

“After a few seconds, I received a phone call from Dubai Police. They were professional in their response and sent sea patrols within 12 minutes,” he added.

The seven men thanked Dubai Police for their quick response and for looking after them while they were stuck in the sea.

SOS service

Brig Abdullah said that SOS service on Dubai Police smart app aims to provide quick response to people who need to be rescued. “The service helps locate a person. Anyone who is in an emergency situation or needs to be rescued should use it,” Brig Abdullah added. He urged tourism companies to activate the ‘Sail Safely’ service available on the Dubai Police app to ensure a quick response during emergencies.