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Ras Al Khaimah police fish out 4WD sucked in by the sea

Ras Al Khaimah - "The man's 4WD, got stuck in the unsteady beach sand of Al Jazeera Al Hamra or the Red Island in RAK and broke down, but the driver was lucky enough to escape in time."

The traffic patrols of the Ras Al Khaimah (RAK) Police have managed to fish out a 4WD vehicle that had gone down in the sea here after being stuck in the unsteady beach sand. The incident took place close to the headquarters of the second squadron of the coast guards.
Lt-Col Marwan Jakkah, manager of media and public relations with the RAK police, blamed the incident on the carelessness of the vehicle owner as he left his car unattended at the beach after it broke down.
"The man's 4WD, got stuck in the unsteady beach sand of Al Jazeera Al Hamra or the Red Island in RAK and broke down, but the driver was lucky enough to escape in time, because within a matter of minutes the car was totally submerged in water. The driver had gone to get a recovery van."
Due to the high tide, unsteady sand and strong winds, the vehicle quickly went under water.
"The driver, who lost control over the car, should not have driven so close to the beach, and should not have left it unattended by being away for such a long time to get a recovery vehicle."
The Central Operations Room, alerted of the mishap, dispatched a traffic patrol and rescue team to the site. "It took the rescue workers around 15 minutes to pull out the vehicle from the water."
Lt-Col Jakkah said no such incidents of any cars getting sucked into the sea have been reported this year so far.
Mohammed Essam, a recovery expert, said if anyone gets stuck in sand, he or she needs to immediately shift their car to a low gear. "First try to reverse over your tracks, but if it does not work, deflate the four tires more."
If it is stuck deep in sand, you will need to dig it out, he pointed out. "If the sand is too soft, it will be helpful to clear the four tracks of all tires."
It is highly advisable to check the rope, shackles and front and back towing points before trying to pull out your vehicle in such a situation, he underlined. "Make sure you connect the tow rope at the recommended towing point of your vehicle," he added.
ahmedshaaban@khaleejtimes.com