Couple tell of Dubai quad-biking horror

10:38am Tuesday 6th May 2008

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What was meant to be a relaxing holiday in Dubai soon turned into a nightmare for one North West couple.

Like many holiday-makers Zahida and her husband Shabir chose to go on a safari trip in Sharjah, just outside Dubai and decided to take up the offer of quad-biking Zahida was a bit hesitant at first but then joined in with the spirit of things.

She said, "We didn't get any instruction or guidance of any kind. We were just given a sort of leaflet thing to sign, which was in Arabic, given some head gear and told to enjoy ourselves.' "The scenery was beautiful and it was exciting riding the bikes at whatever speed we liked. As I was heading towards the back of the fenced off area there was a big mound in front of me.

"I manoeuvred around it and saw another mound next to it. I thought there was enough room for me to go through it but by the time I realised that I didn't it was too late.' "There was a broken rusted fencing sticking out of the big mound which I couldn't see before and my bike went over that fence and rolled over.

"One of the poles pierced the bike and my leg became trapped in between the pole and the bike, so with the pressure it just snapped in two.' Zahida also stated that the reaction of the organisers was something left to be undesired. The man in charge was more concerned about the damage to the quad bike and wanted to know who would pay for it.

With no first aider at hand, Zahida was left to suffer the pain for an hour and half. When the ambulance did arrive, the paramedics only had a fabric leg brace and a spray to calm the muscles down in her leg which had no effect at all.

Speaking from her home in Blackburn, Zahdia is lying comfortably after having two pins surgically placed through her knee which will take 8 months to heal. Three weeks after the accident, Sabbir still looks exhausted.

He said, "I just can't stop thinking that if the pole had been anywhere else my wife wouldn't be here at this moment and my four children would be without a mother."

"At the hospital in Dubai, the doctors was more frustrated than me because they receive at least two cases every week of a broken arm or even a collar bone because of quad bikes. They have continuously complained to the tourism board and the health and safety authorities but nothing is done about it.' "I've only just become aware of two other cases in the area where a guy has broken most of his bones on his ribcage and another has broken his arm through such activities in Dubai."

The police eventually did come but it was on the day that Zahdia was flying home. They insisted that if she wanted to make a complaint she would have to stay in Dubai.

This didn't surprise her because on her second day there another woman who fell out of a jeep during a safari trip and was paid a visit by the police the day she was flying home too "We are going to speak to our solicitor to see if we can do anything about it."

"My advice is not to take chances when you are abroad because most of the organisations don't have any insurance and are not professional in any way.

"It may look like a lot of fun but without it being any fault of your own things can go very wrong."