Indian expat couple in UAE thank Sharjah Police after dramatic desert rescue near Dubai border

Dubai: An Indian expat couple in the UAE has expressed heartfelt gratitude to Sharjah Police after officers came to their aid during a desert ordeal that left their luxury SUV stuck in sand for more than two and a half hours near the Sharjah–Dubai border.

Saideep Kuchana, a former banker in Dubai who is now setting up a consultancy company, was travelling with his wife, Dr Divya Deepika, who works at a Fujairah hospital, when the incident occurred on Monday evening.

The couple, originally from Hyderabad in the south-central Indian state of Telangana, were on their way from Fujairah to Dubai for Kuchana’s business registration work.

The Fujairah residents’ ordeal began around 4.30pm as they navigated heavy traffic near the Sharjah Mosque signal while heading to Dubai. In an attempt to avoid congestion, Kuchana decided to take a U-turn near the mosque exit.

"Google Maps suggested a shorter route through a small desert road. Believing my Range Rover could handle it, I followed the route,” he told Gulf News.

“However, the sand became deeper, and since I had no technical knowledge of desert driving, my car got stuck," Kuchana explained.

Despite repeated attempts, the couple could not free the vehicle. At 4.45pm, Kuchana contacted a private desert pull out company, but their efforts proved futile even after more than an hour.

“By 6pm, I called another towing service, only to realise it was the same desert towing team, and again they couldn’t help.”

As evening fell around 6.30pm and concerns grew for his wife’s safety, Kuchana decided to contact Sharjah Police directly. Rather than dialling the emergency number 999, he searched online and found a local police station number, which happened to be that of Al Suyoh Police Station.

"To my relief, they answered within minutes, took my location, and assured me help was on the way," he said.

Initially, Kuchana had modest expectations from the police. "If it was me alone it was okay. But my wife also there. Since it was getting dark, I told her let us get help to get out of the place and we could remove the car the next day," he explained.

However, Sharjah Police exceeded all expectations. By 7pm, two officers had arrived in separate vehicles, dressed in plain clothes. They reached the couple in just 15 minutes, and their reassuring words were exactly what the worried couple needed to hear.

"Their first words were, 'Don't panic, we are Sharjah Police, we are here to help you.' Those words filled me with pride and confidence in the government," Kuchana recalled.

The officers quickly took charge, asking the private towing teams to step aside before beginning their own rescue operation.

"The junior officer took the lead while the senior was supervising and providing instructions. It took less than half an hour for them to free the vehicle. They were very friendly," Kuchana said.

Within 30 minutes, the police successfully freed the SUV that had been stuck for more than two and a half hours, accomplishing what private companies couldn’t achieve despite extended efforts.

While thanking them, Kuchana took photos with the officers and learnt that their names are Bu Khalifa Al Ameeri and Mohammed Al Raise.

“I am deeply grateful from the bottom of my heart for their timely help. They saved me and my family from a very stressful situation," Kuchana said.

The grateful expats said they wanted their experience to reach people across the UAE and beyond, to highlight the reliability of local police services.

"Wherever you are in this country, if you face trouble, just call the local police. They will definitely respond and help you," Kuchana added.