UAE rescue team recovers submerged SUV from sea after tide pulls it underwater

Camping trip went awry for owner of car who required urgent help

UAE Rescue pulled a submerged car from the sea after it was swept away by rising tide. Photo: Ahmad Hiskol

Members of a local team of rescuers were called into action to salvage a car that had been swept out to sea and pulled underwater.

UAE Rescue received a message for help on its Instagram page from a man who said water was seeping into his car due to a rising tide at Ghantoot, on the border of Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

When the team arrived to offer assistance in Sunday's incident, they saw the situation had quickly escalated.

“On arrival to the location, I saw the car fully underwater," said Ahmad Hiskol, a volunteer from the rescue team.

The car owner was staying on the beach, where he was camping with friends. The car had been parked close by while they slept.

"They were surprised in the morning seeing the tide surrounding the car. They couldn’t drive it away,” Mr Hiskol said.

“Half of the car was under the water in the first picture they sent to me but after one hour the car was fully under the seawater.”

Mr Hiskol realised he would need back up and called a senior member of the rescue team for assistance. Both parked their vehicles on the beach and decided to use winches in their vehicles to pull the submerged car from the water.

“The car was very heavy as it was fully underwater. The cable snapped on first try as the weight of the car was about seven to eight tonnes,” Mr Hiskol added.

Another team member joined the rescue operation and placed another cable into the submerged car.

After three gruelling hours, the volunteers managed to pull the car slowly to land, while the car owner called a recovery service to pick it up.

“It was non-stop hours of work to pull the car out of the water," Mr Hiskol said. "It was the first time we got such a distress call but it's another challenge accomplished."

The car being pulled out of the water. Photo: Ahmad Hiskol

Senior rescuer Ayham Takouz said the team receives more than 200 calls each week from across the UAE.

“Anyone needing help can send a request through the team’s app, set the location, send photos of the car and a contact number," he said. "The request will be received from our end and anyone near to the location will respond."

Rescue history

The UAE Rescue Team was established in 2018 to save people in rough terrain but later started operating at sea. The team has expanded to more than 230 volunteers.

Ahmad Hiskol, left, and Ayham Takouzi are part of UAE Rescue. Chris Whiteoak / The National

“I’m a resident in the UAE since 2012," said Mr Hiskol, an operations assistant manager for a private company. "I joined the rescue team last year during the heavy rainfall and floods. I have a passion to go off-roading and rescue people in the desert."

Despite their growing numbers and advanced operations, the team insists the service will remain free of charge.

“I love helping people and doing something useful for the community," Mr Hiskol said. "This is my second country and my home for over 13 years. My dream is one day to get the UAE Golden Visa."

UAE Rescue consists of skilled professionals, including divers, paramedics, doctors and firefighters. Some members even use gliders to conduct aerial searches for missing people in the vast desert.

The team says anyone can join if they have the passion and time to help people in need.

Every volunteer undergoes specialised training to ensure they are fully equipped for rescue operations. They are taught how to handle emergencies and what gear to carry when responding to distress calls. So far, the team has trained 3,000 people and responded to more than 200,000 calls.

Watch: The National joins UAE Rescue out in the desert