Emirati honoured for rescuing 18 sailors

Dubai - The fire broke out from the cabin of the steamboat and the life of the sailors were in danger

An Emirati man who rescued 18 sailors from a burning steamboat was honoured by the Dubai Civil Defence.
Major-General Rashid Thani Al Matroushi, Director of the General Department of Dubai Civil Defence, honoured Ahmed Mohammed Suhail Al Muhairi for his noble sense and responsibility as a citizen.
Al Muhairi was fishing in the sea, 18 nautical miles off the Jumeirah shores on March 12 when the incident occurred. He saw smoke billowing out from the steamboat and when he approached the boat in his cruiser he heard the sailors crying for help.
The fire broke out from the cabin of the steamboat and the life of the sailors were in danger. Al Muhairi left fishing and stopped his cruiser near the steamboat. He threw a life ladder to the sailors and they escaped from the burning boat one by one. He then informed the civil defence after stopping half a mile away from the burning steamboat.
The civil defence teams rushed immediately and dealt with the incident and extinguished the fire within 20 minutes before starting the cooling operations.
Maj.-Gen. Al Matroushi said a sense of social responsibility and personal safety combined with fire protection and rescue skills are essential factors in protecting oneself and others in dangerous situations. He praised the courage and humanity of Al Muhairi, emphasising the importance of the role of the individual in dealing with critical emergencies.
"As we honour Al Muhairi for his initiative, responsiveness and professional response to the situation, we emphasise the importance of safety requirements in vessels and the need to train a number of seafarers on safety skills.
amira@khaleejtimes.com

• UAE