RIYADH: A team from the Civil Defense on Wednesday rescued a citizen who was stuck in a rocky hollow near the village of Abu Rakah, about 200 km south of Tabuk, about 20 hours after he fell. It took nearly a full day to rescue Badr Al-Balawi, 31, due to the “ruggedness and rocky nature of the area, and the difficulty in reaching it by vehicle,” according to a Civil Defense statement. “The rescue teams, since the start of the case, provided him with the necessary supplies, including water, oxygen and food, until the attempts resulted in saving him after removing the rocks that prevented access to him,” the statement added. Medical teams from the Red Crescent Authority followed up on his health condition on-site, and specialized teams from Al-Wajh, Tabuk, and a support plane from King Faisal Air Base in the northern sector were also present, the statement continued. On Tuesday morning, Al-Balawi had gone searching in the area for some of his father’s lost camels, but as he climbed a mountain to be able to see better, he fell into one of the rocky cracks, landing in a 9-meter fissure, according to his cousin Issa Al-Hamoudi. Al-Hamoudi told Arab News that Al-Balawi tried to get out, and his attempts continued for several hours without success. His cousin Bandar, who was with him, finally decided to contact the Civil Defense and the Red Crescent Authority in Tabuk. “With the efforts of the Civil Defense and the Red Crescent Authority and volunteer teams from the region, the necessary equipment was moved on foot to the site of the fall, and the process of breaking the rocks surrounding the crack began, and indeed Al-Balawi was extracted on Wednesday evening,” Al-Hamoudi said, adding that his cousin was transferred by flight to the King Salman Armed Forces Hospital in Tabuk. Salim Saleh, a relative of Al-Balawi, told Arab News that his condition is currently stable, but he suffers from minor scratches and bruises.