'It's terrifying': Drone shot down 100 yards from 91-year-old Athlone man's Dubai hotel

By Rebekah O'Reilly

Athlone man Terry Carmody, a 91-year-old from Cartontroy, is among those trapped in Dubai amid ongoing unrest.

Mr Carmody has described the terrifying moment a drone was shot down “within 100 yards” of his hotel balcony as he and his family remain stranded in Dubai.

He was due to fly home on Monday (March 2) with his daughter Deirdre Carmody O’Connor, his pregnant granddaughter Marie-Ann Whelan, and son-in-law Aaron Bannon-Whelan when their flights were cancelled.

“This is our fourth day on to our schedule, and we’ve had two extended flights that were cancelled,” he said.

The family had been rebooked on a flight for today (Wednesday), but after a further cancellation they are now hoping to get a flight home on Friday (March 6).

“We are hearing rumours that it might even be extended again. We’re hopeful we might get home on Friday," he said.

Mr Carmody said the situation on the ground had been frightening at times.

“Up to yesterday morning we could still hear the bombs. They were bringing down the drones in the sky,” he said.

“The very first one was when we were in our hotel. I was out on my balcony, and there was a drone shot down within 100 yards of us, so that was very terrifying.”

He said that following the drone incident, hotel guests were moved to the basement for safety.

“We all had to go into a basement to stay there for hours, nobody was allowed in their rooms,” he said.

“We had no contingency plans. We were sitting on concrete, and everybody was crying. There was children, so it was really panicked out. It was very scary.”

Despite the ordeal, he praised his family for remaining calm, particularly his pregnant granddaughter Marie-Ann, who is expecting his sixth great-grandchild.

“She has her baby to protect,” he said. “My daughter Deirdre has taken great care of me. So I’m well protected.”

The trip had been a special family reunion. His daughter, Dr Marie Carmody Morris, who now lives in Brisbane, travelled from Australia to meet him in Dubai.

The family also managed to fit in a round of golf at the famed Emirates Golf Club, home of the Dubai Desert Classic.

“I played golf last week in one of the best golf courses,” he said. “I’m a very active man for my age.”

Mr Carmody added: “If you could ask me in my whole lifetime of 91, did I ever experience anything like this? I didn’t.”

For now, the Carmody family remain hopeful they will board their rescheduled flight on Friday and return safely home. “We’re hopeful,” he said.