Dubai Police rescue family after yacht breaks down

The Dubai Police maritime rescue patrols have rescued a GCC family after their yacht broke down due to a technical glitch near Palm Jumeirah.

The swift response to the family's report helped prevent the yacht from drifting and colliding into the rock breaker amid strong sea currents and high waves.

Colonel Dr Hassan Suhail Al Suwaidi, Director of Ports Police Station, said the Command and Control Centre at Dubai Police received a distress call from the GCC family, whose yacht broke down in the middle of the sea.

"The Station, which has across nine marine points across in Dubai, immediately responded to the call and handled the situation with extreme finesse and professionalism," he said.

Al Suwaidi explained the maritime rescue patrols were immediately dispatched to the yacht coordinates, which were being hit by the high waves and strong currents, posing a threat to the family's lives.

“Our teams transferred the family to a rescue boat and provided them with life jackets before they were transferred to safety ashore. We then towed the broken-down yacht out of the sea onto the port,” he said.

Sail safely

Dubai Police 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 on the 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.

‘Sail Safely’ service can track a cruise's journey; warn users about any delays during the trip; identify hazards; send distress requests directly to the Dubai Police; facilitate rapid emergency response; determine the location of those in distress as well as the type and degree of distress severity.

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The service also provides users with free and easy access interactive marine maps. It also allows users to determine the emergency: drowning, collision, shortage of fuel, or boat malfunction.

The marine service ensures the jurisdiction area of the Ports Police Station is completely covered. Ninety-nine per cent of the received emergency calls were within the scope of ‘Sail Safely’ coverage, which spans an area of seven nautical miles in depth and 70 nautical miles along Dubai coasts.

sherouk@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai