An experienced guide saved the life of a young hiker who collapsed from severe heatstroke while tackling Ras Al Khaimah’s challenging Stairway to Heaven trail.
Faisi Shalmani, a UAE mountain rescue volunteer, showed quick thinking, experience, courage and sheer endurance to carry the stricken hiker for three hours down the steep trail on April 25. An ambulance of waiting at the bottom of the route.
“When I reached her at 12.30pm on the trail, she had passed out after multiple seizures. It took about 10 minutes to bring her back to consciousness,” Mr Shalmani, 42, told The National.
“It’s a very narrow trail so I had to carry her on my back. Two people trying to carry her would have caused climbers to trip and fall. It took three hours to get to where authorities were waiting at the closest point that cars can reach.
"My team were constantly in communication with the authorities. The only option was a land rescue so we emptied my backpack and basically used it like a makeshift baby carrier.”
The hiker, who did not want to be identified, was discharged from hospital on Wednesday. Her family in the Philippines thanked Mr Shalmani and his team for giving her a “second life”. In a message, she expressed her gratitude “for saving my life and never giving up on me".
Rescue mission
Hikers have been warned repeatedly by authorities about the risks of underestimating Wadi Ghalilah and the challenging 17km Stairway route, which includes a climb of about 1.5km that can take about eight hours to complete.
Visitors are urged to ensure they have enough water and to hike with licensed operators, rather than venturing out on their own. Mr Shalmani, founder of AFT Adventures, was leading another group when his team saw about 40 people crowded around a hiker who appeared to be unconscious. They reached out to Mr Shalmani for help.
“When I saw her going in and out of seizures and blacking out, I could tell she was very close to going into cardiac arrest,” he said. “I have been part of many rescues so I knew from my training that we had to act quickly to get her body temperature down and bring her back to consciousness before evacuating her.”
He used frozen bottles of water to revive the hiker. He asked women on the trail to remove the hiker's thick clothing and put her in a spare pair of shorts he carried in his backpack.
“We needed to get maximum air flow to her, sprayed her with cold water, put ice cold water in her arm pits, arms, knees. I dipped my bandana in cold water and tapped it on her forehead,” said Mr Shalmani, who has been a guide in the UAE for 15 years.
A helicopter evacuation was not possible and it would have taken the mountain rescue team hours to reach the trail, so the only option was for Mr Shalmani to carry her to safety. “She passed out several times along the way. My team kept reviving her by pouring water on her and me,” he added.
Life lessons
The rescued hiker has been discharged from hospital in Dubai, but requires blood tests and follow-up examinations next week.
The incident offered an important life lesson for a family of three who were on the trail as part of the AFT Adventures team. Anu Sebastian said she followed Mr Shalmani’s instructions and poured water over the hiker's head to help lower her body temperature.
“When we first saw her it was scary because she was having seizures and had difficulty breathing,” said the Dubai resident. “I was really in a panic because I thought we would see a soul lose her life. It was such a relief that Faisi saved her.
"He single-handedly did everything. It was critical to carry her down and, even though he is physically strong, it was difficult.”
Ms Sebastian’s husband, Sudeep Nair, recalled how Mr Shalmani acted decisively to save the woman's life. “What he demonstrated was way beyond his call of duty, he was so calm and composed," Mr Nair added.
"None of us were capable of physically helping him but he instructed us how to support him. To have the presence of mind to know what needs to be done with limited resources and to save a life – it was really watching leadership in action.”
Safety first
But Mr Shalmani played down his heroic actions, simply describing the rescue as “challenging".
The experienced mountaineer instead stressed that it was vital to stay hydrated on such trials, set off early and wear loose and light-coloured clothing. He urged hikers to only attempt trails that could be accessed quickly by road.
“This is not the time to go to remote places, only go on routes where there is access by car – like if you go to Jebel Jais, there is a road along the entire trail,” he said.
“You should start very early, before sunrise, and factor in at least two hours grace period for any emergency. The best sun protection in scorching heat is loosely fitted and light-coloured clothing. People think a sleeveless shirt and shorts is good. Many show up wearing black or navy blue, but that attracts a lot of heat.”
He added that it was key to recognise the symptoms of heatstroke and to be prepared to turn back. “The moment you feel dizzy, experience blurred vision, loss of balance, nausea, headache, that's it, your hike is done and you need to head back," he said. "Drink fluids and keep your head wet so that your temperature does not rise.”
