Emirati honoured for rescuing 18 people on boat that caught fire off Dubai

Fisherman was on the waters off Jumeirah when he spotted the boat in trouble.

DUBAI // An Emirati who was fishing off Dubai has been honoured for rescuing 18 people whose boat caught fire.

Ahmed Al Muheiri was in a boat 19 kilometres off the coast of Dubai on March 12 when he saw the crew was in trouble and needed assistance.

“He heroically used his private vessel to go towards the boat, in which a fire erupted in one of the cabins,” Dubai Civil Defence said. “One-by-one the crew started disembarking.

“He rescued them all and waited with them about half a mile away from the boat and called the Civil Defence.”

Maj Gen Rashid Al Matroushi, director of Civil Defence, said: “Ahmed’s brave action to save 18 seamen whose boat went up in flames shows the importance of an individual in a society who can deal with emergency cases.

“This is why we honour Mr Al Muheiri for his quick response and professional stance for his personal safety and that of others.

“We stress the importance of safety equipment on boats and the need to train seagoers in safety skills and fast response, and how to deal with fire and stop it from spreading.”