Dubai Police save woman after SOS call from Australia

In a dramatic rescue, Dubai Police traced and saved a woman in critical condition after receiving an emergency SOS call from Australia. The incident, detailed in Lieutenant General Dhahi Khalfan Tamim's book "Operations Management: The Art of Critical Notifications, Crises, and Disasters," highlighted how Dubai Police's Command and Control Centre can act swiftly even on alerts originating from outside the UAE.

The operation began when an Australian expatriate living in Dubai received a distress call about a female relative believed to be at risk. She had recently expressed concerns about her emotional state and self-harm, as she had attempted self-harm twice before, once in Australia and once in Dubai. The caller provided Dubai Police with her name and a recent photograph, which proved essential in locating her.

Dubai Police attempted to reach the woman by phone, but she did not answer. Using technology and available records, officers traced her phone and sent a patrol and ambulance to the location identified, but upon arrival, they could not find her. They then contacted her father in Australia, who provided an earlier address where she had lived and reassured authorities of his daughter's safety.

With the help of recent photographs from the father and a security guard at the building, police identified the woman. She was found in her apartment, having taken a large quantity of pills to end her life. Emergency personnel administered first aid and transferred her to Rashid Hospital for urgent medical care, where doctors managed to save her life.

The case showcased the effectiveness of Dubai Police's response system, demonstrating how a combination of technology, police resources, family information, and ground-level assistance can effectively rescue a person in distress, even when the initial alert comes from thousands of kilometres away.