Rough seas pose challenging tasks

Sea Rescue Section

The Sea Rescue Section was set up in 1978.

The section deals with 80 per cent of sea rescue missions and 20 per cent of sea accident and search missions. As many as 100 personnel work in the sea rescue section.

First Lieutenant Obaid Bin Subaih
Acting Head of the Sea Rescue Section

The most difficult accident Bin Subaih has ever dealt with was when a civil defence boat sank.

"The weather was very bad on that day and no rescue boats could go into the sea to rescue the people who were on the boat. We were the only ones who managed to get to them," he said, adding that it was the challenging because of the risk involved.

Air Wing Department

The Air Wing Department was established in 1978 and has played a vital role in dealing with numerous land and sea accidents. The department started with two helicopters and three expatriate pilots. Today the air wing has five modern fully-equipped helicopters piloted by Emiratis.

The Air Wing Department is involved in search and rescue, first aid and transferring victims during natural and man-made disasters, transferring patients and accident victims to hospitals, daily patrolling of the city from the sky, night-lighting during disasters and accidents and monitoring smuggling or illegal passage, among other missions.

Currently the Air Wing has 20 pilots, 26 helicopter staff and 10 paramedics.

The department uses Agusta 109 K2 and AB4 12EP helicopters.

Colonel Pilot Anas Al Matroushi
Deputy Director of Transport and Rescue Affairs

Colonel Pilot Al Matroushi has been working as an air wing pilot for 29 years and has completed 5,000 flying hours.

"The most difficult situations I have dealt with are those where the parents or the family of the victim are present at the accident scene. "It is difficult because all their hopes are on you," he said.