Police rescue sailors from sinking dhow in Dubai Creek

Maritime officers brought the crew to safety before securing the wooden boat

A group of sailors were brought to safety after their dhow was on the verge of sinking. Courtesy: Dubai Police

Police in Dubai came to the aid of a crew of six sailors facing troubled waters as their dhow threatened to sink.

The force's Maritime Rescue Department received an emergency call from the captain as the vessel sailed out of Dubai Creek.

The dhow was taking in large amounts of water due to a crack caused by overloaded cargo.

"The Command and Control Centre at Dubai Police received an emergency call from the dhow's captain as water started filling the boat, as they were sailing out of Dubai Creek on to an Asian country," said Lt Col Ali Abdullah Al Naqbi, head of the Maritime Rescue Department at the Ports Police Station.

Patrols sent out to the stricken boat brought the sailors to safety.

Police said the crew were all from Asia. They did not specify their nationalities or the date of the incident.

Police divers found the crack in the vessel was so large it would need to be swiftly directed to the nearest dock to secure it before it sank.

“Our teams succeeded in towing the dhow to a nearby dock, then our divers installed special rescue balloons to help keep the boat afloat,” he said.

The officer urged owners of boats, ships and yachts to make use of the Sail Safely service on the Dubai Police app in order to send distress calls immediately to police and ensure rapid responses in emergency situations.