A member of the Coastguard has been missing since Friday night after jumping into the sea off the coast of Fujairah during a rescue mission. The sailor leapt off a Coastguard vessel, which was attempting to help a small boat carrying two Emirati fishermen, because he feared it might capsize, said an official at Fujairah Port, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
"The Coastguard man jumped off the boat because he thought it would sink," he said. "There were very heavy waves, maybe five to seven feet high." The fishermen, who made a distress call at about 9pm because of high winds and large swells, were brought safely back to shore. Authorities have been searching waters off the Emirates by helicopter and boat for the missing Coastguard member ever since. "Since yesterday, you have seen helicopters flying very low to the water looking for him," the port official said. The official said the fishing boat was about 11km off the coast when powerful wind, heavy rain and unusually high swells prevented them from returning to port.
Coastguard officials in Fujairah declined to comment. hnaylor@thenational.ae
