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Beach Crane Crash Scares Swimmers

RAS AL KHAIMAH - A crane operating at a dumping site crashed into the waters off the Al Hamra Beach Resort on Thursday morning causing commotion and scaring scores of tourists who were there to enjoy their Christmas holidays.

The crane operator escaped unhurt.

Three cranes, which were operating in the same area and belonged to the same construction company, rushed to the scene to pull out the sinking crane.

The cranes were dumping sand at the nearby site which is being developed by a company which has a chain of hotels, but the site does not belong to the Al Hamra hotels, said a representative of Al Hamra Beach Resort, who asked not to be named.

Bernard Berkley, a German tourist who witnessed the scene, said the operators of the other cranes in assistance with the hotel workers spent almost an hour trying to pull out the crashed crane out of the water.

“Some visitors abandoned swimming and were just looking on as the workers struggled to pull the crane out of the water,” he added.

Another visitor, Dr. Goescht, who is a resident of Ras Al Khaimah and had visited the hotel in the afternoon for swimming, said he was unhappy with the situation at the beach.

“I had come here to swim but it seems some construction work is going on around here and I am afraid this water may not be proper for swimming,” he added.

John Psulites, a Danish national, who had visited the hotel beach for swimming with his family, said, “We are enjoying the beach. I have not been worried by the construction work going on next this beach because I know construction is everywhere in the UAE and this does not upset me.”

ismail@khaleejtimes.com