Sharjah Police have rescued an Italian tourist after he fell on a mountain, broke his arm and lost consciousness. The man, 42, was hiking on Sunday with two of his friends on Jebel Mleiha when the incident occurred. He fell from a high point on the hill and got stuck on a ridge. Sharjah Police said they received a rescue call from one of his companions at 9:50am. “The man suffered multiple injuries across different parts of his body after falling from a high point on the mountain," police said. “He landed in an area that was inaccessible by an ambulance and paramedics. “A rescue [helicopter] was immediately deployed to the accident site. It was very challenging to locate the victim because of the complicated off-road location and bad weather conditions.” The victim was found unconscious after breaking his arm and suffering from a deep wound on his head. His body was also severely bruised from the fall. “He was ... transferred to Al Dhaid Hospital for treatment,” said police. Lt Col Sultan Al Ketbi, chief of the Mleiha Police Station, urged hikers to be cautious and follow all safety measures when venturing out into the mountains. Jebel Mleiha – about an hour's drive from Dubai on the Sharjah to Kalba road – includes Fossil Rock and Saddle Rock. The area is popular with day-trippers – especially as international travel is restricted due to Covid-19 – but the steep cliffs can be unstable and hiking groups urge people to wear proper footwear and use trekking poles.
