One of the UAE’s top freediving experts had a near-death experience on his recent freediving and spearfishing trip. Zarir Saifuddin nearly drowned during an extremely risky dive but the timely intervention of a Dubai royal helped save his life.
Freediving is a technique where divers do not use scuba equipment. Instead, they dive deep into the ocean, holding their breath for as long as they possibly could. This technique was used in the ancient tradition of pearl diving.
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According to eyewitnesses, Zarir lost consciousness and almost drowned while on a diving trip with his friends several kilometres away from the shore. His friends, desperate for help, rushed him to the closest piece of land, the Moon Island, which is located 70km away from the Dubai coast. They said he was already in a semi-conscious state as his lungs were starting to get filled with water.
Royal Intervention
Luckily for Zarir, a member of Dubai’s royal family was close by and sent his personal doctor and medical team to assist in the rescue. The security team at the Moon Island contacted the royal family member who then provided emergency aid to the diver until the Dubai Police medical team arrived by helicopter.
According to those who were on the scene, it was the quick arrival of the royal medical team that kept the freediver alive. A video shared with Khaleej Times showed how the freediver was immediately airlifted by the Dubai Police helicopter from Moon Island.
Watch the video below:
Khaleej Times reached out to Zarir and he confirmed the incident. However, he did not wish to comment further other than to thank the royal family, the Dubai Police, the security personnel on Moon Island, his friends and the staff at Rashid Hospital for their care and incredible speed.
“The response time of Dubai Police was incredible. To reach someone that far offshore in just a few minutes is not something I thought could be possible,” he said.
Lucky to be alive
A member of the team that treated Zarir said he was incredibly lucky to be alive. “There was a lot of water deposited in his lungs and it was impacting his ability to breathe,” said Almir Smajlovic, Specialist of Respiratory Care at Rashid Hospital. “He received medical care and slept for more than 48 hours. Considering the depths at which he dove, he is very lucky to be alive. It was a very, very risky dive.”
A freediver himself, Almir confirmed that Zarir was an expert. He also added that Zarir trained him. “In spearfishing, diving up to 20-metre depth is considered recreational and is relatively safe. Anyone can do it,” he said. “But at depths close to or deeper than 40 metres, there are very few people in the world who can hunt that deep in one breath. In Dubai, Zarir is one of them.”
Almir, who has seen a video of the incident, explained how it happened. “It occurred when he performed a three-minute breathhold at 32 metres after having shot two fish in a single shot. At the same time, he was also trying to retrieve them from inside an underwater cave,” he said.
While Zarir was discharged at the hospital not long after, he continued to experience sharp pain in his chest for several weeks after the incident. Almir explained that “the fluids don’t just drain out,” he said. “It will take many days for it to be totally out of his lungs. Also, many air sacs were damaged so it will take a while for him to be able to breathe without pain.”