Swift Intervention Restores Sight of Egyptian Hajj Pilgrim in Makkah

The patient underwent a delicate, one-day surgery and was discharged in stable condition. (SPA)
The patient underwent a delicate, one-day surgery and was discharged in stable condition. (SPA)
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Swift Intervention Restores Sight of Egyptian Hajj Pilgrim in Makkah

The patient underwent a delicate, one-day surgery and was discharged in stable condition. (SPA)
The patient underwent a delicate, one-day surgery and was discharged in stable condition. (SPA)

Rapid and precise intervention by a medical team at the Eye Health Center of King Abdullah Medical City, a member of the Makkah Health Cluster, saved the sight of an Egyptian pilgrim after she experienced sudden vision loss.

According to the cluster, thorough examinations revealed that the patient was suffering from retinal detachment accompanied by cataracts, an emergency eye condition that can result in permanent vision loss if not treated promptly.

The patient underwent a delicate, one-day surgery and was discharged in stable condition. She is now receiving close medical follow-up to ensure retinal stability and gradual improvement in her vision, the health cluster said.

The swift response and precise execution of the procedure played a critical role in restoring her sight, enabling the pilgrim to complete her Hajj rituals safely and with comfort.



Tangled Humpback Whale Sparks Rescue Mission off Australia

This handout frame grab taken from video footage provided by whale rescue group Organization for the Rescue and Research of Cetaceans in Australia (ORRCA) on June 9, 2025 shows a distressed humpback whale tangled in a rope swimming south of Sydney Harbor. (Handout and Clay Sweetman / ORRCA / AFP)
This handout frame grab taken from video footage provided by whale rescue group Organization for the Rescue and Research of Cetaceans in Australia (ORRCA) on June 9, 2025 shows a distressed humpback whale tangled in a rope swimming south of Sydney Harbor. (Handout and Clay Sweetman / ORRCA / AFP)
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Tangled Humpback Whale Sparks Rescue Mission off Australia

This handout frame grab taken from video footage provided by whale rescue group Organization for the Rescue and Research of Cetaceans in Australia (ORRCA) on June 9, 2025 shows a distressed humpback whale tangled in a rope swimming south of Sydney Harbor. (Handout and Clay Sweetman / ORRCA / AFP)
This handout frame grab taken from video footage provided by whale rescue group Organization for the Rescue and Research of Cetaceans in Australia (ORRCA) on June 9, 2025 shows a distressed humpback whale tangled in a rope swimming south of Sydney Harbor. (Handout and Clay Sweetman / ORRCA / AFP)

Wildlife rescue teams scoured Australia's east coast on Monday to find and free a distressed humpback whale tangled in a rope.

Aerial footage showed the whale swimming south of Sydney Harbor trailing a rope attached to a floating buoy.

"It makes it more difficult for the whale to dive," said Pip Jacobs from whale rescue group ORRCA.

"It's tiring for the whale, which is already in a state of distress being tangled."

The whale was about eight meters (25 feet) long, Jacobs said, indicating it was still "quite young".

The rope appeared to be tangled around the whale's left pectoral fin, she said.

"The way it is moving is quite erratic," Jacobs told AFP.

"It's moving south which is unusual.

"They should be heading north as part of their migration."

Teams of volunteers and wildlife rescue experts were searching the coastline to pinpoint the whale's location, she said.

But efforts had been hindered by choppy waters and blustery winds.

"If conditions allow and we have eyes on the whale, the best-case scenario is we have a successful disentanglement.

"If they are dragging gear, it hinders their ability to swim freely. The worst-case scenario is the whale can't feed or swim."