UAE: 5 times children were rescued from dangerous situations

A five-year-old boy had a miraculous escape after climbing out of a 13th-floor window in a Sharjah building recently. Neighbours and the building’s watchman spotted the boy dangling from the window and broke the door open to pull the child back to safety.

This is not the first time that a child has been rescued in the nick of time thanks to the presence of mind of officials and bystanders. This year alone, the Dubai Police have rescued 36 children from locked vehicles.

Here are five other remarkable rescues:

1. Six-year-old rescued from well

In February this year, a six-year-old was playing in a yard when she fell into a 15-metre-deep well in the Wasit area of Dibba Al Fujairah. A Civil Defence team managed to rescue the girl in less than 10 minutes. Here is a video of the operation that saved the girl’s life and the subsequent praise the team received:

2. Two kids left locked in car wave to passers-by for help

In June last year, passers-by spotted two children waving to them from a locked car which had its engine switched off. They immediately called the Dubai Police, after which officers rushed to the spot and forced open the door to rescue the children aged two and four.

3. Infant left home alone by distressed mum saved after neighbour’s call

In April last year, a tenant in a Dubai building observed that a child was crying non-stop. He immediately called the police, who rushed to the site and found the one-year-old alone at home. Officers later located the boy’s mother, who was wandering the streets after suffering from a mental breakdown. She had been in a state of distress as her husband was stuck abroad because of Covid-triggered lockdowns.

4. Two-year-old gets lost on UAE mountain, saved after 12 hours

In May last year, the authorities mounted a massive search-and-rescue mission to save a toddler who got lost in the mountains of Ras Al Khaimah. The child went missing for 12 hours in a rugged area in Jabal Yanas. An Emirati, Adel Muhammad Al Jasmi, found the boy in a hole. Despite the difficult terrain and darkness, he was located after an hours-long operation that lasted till midnight.