Cancer Patient Stranded in Dubai Amid Drone Attacks as Holiday Turns to Nightmare
A mother-of-one from Plymouth, diagnosed with stage three lung cancer, has described her terrifying ordeal of being stranded in Dubai as suicide drones rain down on the city. Linzi Stone, 47, told the Metro that her pre-chemotherapy holiday has devolved into a nightmare, with her health deteriorating due to stress and uncertainty.
Health Crisis Amid Chaos
Mrs. Stone, who is staying at the Palm Atlantis hotel with her husband Paul and their eleven-year-old daughter Summer, reported experiencing severe chest pain, likely exacerbated by her cancer and the intense stress of being trapped far from home. 'I feel like my health is suddenly getting worse,' she said. 'I’m terrified about what may happen if I need urgent medical care.' The family was due to fly home last Sunday after a week-long holiday, but their flight with Virgin Airways was canceled, leaving them in the dark about when they can return.
The lack of information from the airline has been particularly distressing, Mrs. Stone added, noting that the hotel continues to charge them £500 per day. She discovered a lump on her collar bone in January, leading to a biopsy and a diagnosis of a lung tumor. 'This holiday was meant to be a relaxing break ahead of starting chemotherapy, which was due to take place on Friday. Instead, it has turned into a nightmare,' she explained.
Drone Attacks and Panic
The crisis began on Saturday when the family was in the hotel swimming pool and first noticed signs of trouble. 'I didn’t understand at first what was happening,' Mrs. Stone recounted. 'I suddenly became absolutely terrified as friends from home were texting me to ask if I was ok, and just at that moment, a drone got intercepted above our heads. We all panicked and ran inside.' Since then, they have heard constant booms and plane noises, with alerts on their phones, and have been restricted to staying near the hotel pool area.
Mrs. Stone has reached out to the UK embassy and her airline about her urgent medical needs but has received no response. 'It’s an absolute mess. I need to have chemotherapy urgently and am so scared about going downhill and getting very sick out here,' she said.
Wider Impact of the Conflict
The situation in Dubai is part of a larger conflict that has spread across the Gulf region, with tens of thousands of airline passengers stranded. Major airports in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Doha, Qatar, have been closed, leading to a surge in demand for charter flights. Some wealthy travelers are paying up to £175,000 for luxury flights to Europe via safer airports. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper noted that around 130,000 British nationals have registered their presence in the Middle East.
Other residents, like Harriet Aldridge, who recently moved to Dubai, have also faced danger. She described a drone strike on her neighbor’s building that failed to detonate, calling the experience 'very surreal.' 'We didn’t feel safe watching missiles being intercepted directly above our building,' she said, adding that they have taken refuge in a friend’s house in Fujairah. To cope, families are resorting to activities like watching movies and playing games, with one mother telling her three-year-old daughter that the explosions were from a cartoon character to ease her fears.
Ongoing Uncertainty and Fear
As the conflict continues, those stranded, like Mrs. Stone, face mounting anxiety over their safety and health. The combination of drone attacks, flight cancellations, and lack of communication has created a perilous environment for vulnerable individuals. With chemotherapy delayed and medical care uncertain, the nightmare shows no signs of abating, highlighting the broader humanitarian crisis unfolding in the region.
