FUJAIRAH // A lifeboat washed ashore on one of the emirate’s beaches last month, leaving guests and staff at a nearby hotel guessing about its origin.
The lifeboat, registered to the Zola, a Panama-flagged oil tanker, ran aground at Al Aqah beach in stormy weather.
Shipping website marinetraffic.com put the Zola's last known position just off the Khor Fakkan coast. Its current status is listed as "stopped".
It is believed that the agency managing the vessel is the UAE-based Whales Shipping Line. The company declined to comment.
_________
VIDEO: Mystery lifeboat washes ashore in Fujairah
_________
Ashraf Helmy, area general manager of the Miramar Al Aqah hotel, said that on September 4 he was informed that a lifeboat was spotted drifting towards the beach. “A German guest was standing on the beach shouting that there was a lifeboat coming towards us and that was around 5.15pm,” he said.
“We called the coastguard and police because we were afraid that somebody would need help inside the lifeboat. The coastguard, police and an ambulance were at the site and we were all waiting for the lifeboat to arrive.”
At 7.41pm, the coastguard and police were the first to inspect the vessel, but it was empty.
“It was a weird situation and we didn’t have any explanation,” Mr Helmy said.
“The coastguard did not allow anybody near the lifeboat. They started inspecting it and eventually they removed all the equipment that could be misused, like lifesaving equipment such as torches, and left the boat in place,” Mr Helmy said.
He believed the lifeboat was worth about Dh300,000 and would cost a lot to move to another place.
“We are thinking of keeping it if the authorities would allow that.”
Hotel management now wants to use the boat as a tourist attraction, or possibly sink it for use as a diving attraction.
The boat is 11.45 metres in length and 3.12 metres in height. It weighs 9.75 tonnes.
It is currently sitting on the Miramar hotel beach.
rhaza@thenational.ae
