The timely response of the Dubai Police helped save the dhow and its sailors.

The Dubai Police maritime rescue patrols have recently rescued six Asian sailors, and prevented their dhow from sinking in Dubai Creek.

According to Lieutenant Colonel Ali Abdullah Al Naqbi, Head of the Maritime Rescue Department at the Ports Police Station, water leaked into the dhow through a crack caused by overloading wooden boat with commercial cargo.

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“The Command and Control Centre at Dubai Police received an emergency call from the dhow’s captain as water filled started filling their boat as they were sailing out of Dubai Creek onto an Asian country,” Al Naqbi explained.

The crack in the dhow’s structure was large, which contributed to the leakage of huge quantities of water.

He added that the Maritime Rescue and Security patrols were dispatched to the dhows in the Al Khor area, and immediately rescued the sailors in distress and ensured their safety.

Al Naqbi said Dubai Police divers realised the crack in the dhow’s structure was large, which contributed to the leakage of huge quantities of water, so an immediate decision was taken to work on directing the boat to the nearest dock to secure it before it completely sinks.

“Our teams succeeded in towing the dhow to a nearby dock, then our divers installed special rescue balloons to help keep the boat afloat before we used a mechanical winch to salvage it,” he added.

Al Naqbi further added that they worked in collaboration with Dubai Municipality to salvage sinking cargo and prevent further financial and environmental damage.

He also urged owners of boats, ships and yachts to take advantage of the ‘Sail Safely’ service through the smart app of Dubai Police. “The ‘Sail Safely’ service via Dubai Police App tracks sea journeys, alerts users to delays during a sea trip, identifies hazards, sends distress messages directly to the Dubai Police and helps with rapid emergency responses," Al Naqbi concluded.