Search continues for missing Emirati swimmers

The two were part of a group of 6 people, five Emiratis and one Omani, who entered the water.

Omani authorities are continuing to search for two Emirati brothers reported missing while swimming on Friday.

The brothers are Abdullah Mohammed Al Dhaheri, 21, and Mansour Mohammed Al Dhaheri, 19, according to Al Ittihad, the Arabic-language sister newspaper of The National.

Omani civil defence authorities said on Saturday morning that the search was still under way.

“Foot patrols conducted along the rocks in Mirbat as part of the search operation for the two Emiratis lost at sea. No trace of them so far,” the Oman Public Authority of Civil Defence and Ambulance said on its official Twitter page.

The two were part of a group of six people, five Emiratis and one Omani, who entered the water at the beach in the Damr area in Mirbat in Dhofar governorate in the south of the country when they got into trouble due to high waves and strong currents.

The other four members of the group were rescued from the water and are reported to be safe and well.

"The waves were normal and we were entering the sea, but then all of a sudden the waves got rough and pulled in my cousins and me," one of the rescued Emiratis, Mohammed Ali Al Dhaheri, told Abu Dhabi TV's Oloum Al Dar news programme by telephone from Oman on Friday.

Asked about the rescue effort by the Omani authorities, he said: “All of them are sparing no effort. They are searching for them until now, including ordinary Omanis, all of them are involved in the search.”

A helicopter from the Oman Royal Air Force was dispatched to join teams from the General Authority for Civil Defence and Rescue Oman on Thursday to help with search operations, reported Al Ittihad, the Arabic language sister paper of The National.