Sharjah: A 42-year-old Italian hiker who fell 50 feet down a mountain was rescued in the UAE on Sunday.
The Sharjah Police rescue team, with the National Search and Rescue Centre, rushed to his rescue after receiving information from the central operations room.
Emergency workers learnt that a man fell in a ravine in Mleiha area while practice-climbing.
Due to difficulty of access, a helicopter rescue team was dispatched to the site. Rescuers said the patient had sustained serious injuries and fractures, necessitaing advanced life support procedures to be performed.
The injured hiker was taken to Al Dhaid Hospital. He was accompanied by two companions.
The Maliha Police Station received a report from the National Ambulance on Sunday at 9.50am, follwing which specialised patrols swung into action under the leadership of the station director Lt. Col. Salem Sultan Al Ketbi. The National Search and Rescue Centre was alerted and a helicopter sent to the site of the accident.
The rescue effort had its share of challenges because of location, poor weather conditions and the ruggedness of the terrain. The team managed to reach the site of the injured person at a steep altitude of about 50 feet, where he was in a state of shock and fatigue after suffering a fracture in his hand and a deep wound in his head. He was given first aid and transferred by helicopter to Al Dhaid Hospital to receive necessary treatment.
Sharjah Police urged those who wish to climb mountains to exercise caution.
