Members of a local team of rescuers were called into action to salvage a car that had been swept out to sea and pulled underwater.
UAE Rescue received a message for help on its Instagram page from a man who said water was seeping into his car due to a rising tide at Ghantoot, on the border of Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
When the team arrived to offer assistance in Sunday's incident, they saw the situation had quickly escalated.
“On arrival to the location, I saw the car fully underwater," said Ahmad Hiskol, a volunteer from the rescue team.
The car owner was staying on the beach, where he was camping with friends. The car had been parked close by while they slept.
"They were surprised in the morning seeing the tide surrounding the car. They couldn’t drive it away,” Mr Hiskol said.
“Half of the car was under the water in the first picture they sent to me but after one hour the car was fully under the seawater.”
Mr Hiskol realised he would need back up and called a senior member of the rescue team for assistance. Both parked their vehicles on the beach and decided to use winches in their vehicles to pull the submerged car from the water.
“The car was very heavy as it was fully underwater. The cable snapped on first try as the weight of the car was about seven to eight tonnes,” Mr Hiskol added.
Another team member joined the rescue operation and placed another cable into the submerged car.
After three gruelling hours, the volunteers managed to pull the car slowly to land, while the car owner called a recovery service to pick it up.
“It was non-stop hours of work to pull the car out of the water," Mr Hiskol said. "It was the first time we got such a distress call but it's another challenge accomplished."
Senior rescuer Ayham Takouz said the team receives more than 200 calls each week from across the UAE.
“Anyone needing help can send a request through the team’s app, set the location, send photos of the car and a contact number," he said. "The request will be received from our end and anyone near to the location will respond."
Rescue history
The UAE Rescue Team was established in 2018 to save people in rough terrain but later started operating at sea. The team has expanded to more than 230 volunteers.
“I’m a resident in the UAE since 2012," said Mr Hiskol, an operations assistant manager for a private company. "I joined the rescue team last year during the heavy rainfall and floods. I have a passion to go off-roading and rescue people in the desert."
Despite their growing numbers and advanced operations, the team insists the service will remain free of charge.
“I love helping people and doing something useful for the community," Mr Hiskol said. "This is my second country and my home for over 13 years. My dream is one day to get the UAE Golden Visa."
UAE Rescue consists of skilled professionals, including divers, paramedics, doctors and firefighters. Some members even use gliders to conduct aerial searches for missing people in the vast desert.
The team says anyone can join if they have the passion and time to help people in need.
Every volunteer undergoes specialised training to ensure they are fully equipped for rescue operations. They are taught how to handle emergencies and what gear to carry when responding to distress calls. So far, the team has trained 3,000 people and responded to more than 200,000 calls.
Watch: The National joins UAE Rescue out in the desert
Nepotism is the name of the game
Salman Khan’s father, Salim Khan, is one of Bollywood’s most legendary screenwriters. Through his partnership with co-writer Javed Akhtar, Salim is credited with having paved the path for the Indian film industry’s blockbuster format in the 1970s. Something his son now rules the roost of. More importantly, the Salim-Javed duo also created the persona of the “angry young man” for Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the 1970s, reflecting the angst of the average Indian. In choosing to be the ordinary man’s “hero” as opposed to a thespian in new Bollywood, Salman Khan remains tightly linked to his father’s oeuvre. Thanks dad.
VEZEETA PROFILE
Date started: 2012
Founder: Amir Barsoum
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: HealthTech / MedTech
Size: 300 employees
Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)
Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC
Cricket World Cup League 2 Fixtures
Saturday March 5, UAE v Oman, ICC Academy (all matches start at 9.30am)
Sunday March 6, Oman v Namibia, ICC Academy
Tuesday March 8, UAE v Namibia, ICC Academy
Wednesday March 9, UAE v Oman, ICC Academy
Friday March 11, Oman v Namibia, Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Saturday March 12, UAE v Namibia, Sharjah Cricket Stadium
UAE squad
Ahmed Raza (captain), Chirag Suri, Muhammad Waseem, CP Rizwan, Vriitya Aravind, Asif Khan, Basil Hameed, Rohan Mustafa, Kashif Daud, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Karthik Meiyappan, Akif Raja, Rahul Bhatia
Five expert hiking tips
Always check the weather forecast before setting off
Make sure you have plenty of water
Set off early to avoid sudden weather changes in the afternoon
Wear appropriate clothing and footwear
Take your litter home with you
Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
- Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
- Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
- Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
- Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
- Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
THE CLOWN OF GAZA
Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
2.0
Director: S Shankar
Producer: Lyca Productions; presented by Dharma Films
Cast: Rajnikanth, Akshay Kumar, Amy Jackson, Sudhanshu Pandey
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
More on Quran memorisation:
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Washmen Profile
Date Started: May 2015
Founders: Rami Shaar and Jad Halaoui
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Laundry
Employees: 170
Funding: about $8m
Funders: Addventure, B&Y Partners, Clara Ventures, Cedar Mundi Partners, Henkel Ventures
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