Dr. Mohammed Ben Sulayem, ATCUAE President, paid tribute to Ukrainian rally driver Vadym Nesterchuk, who died of dehydration while training in the UAE’s Liwa desert earlier this week.

Dubai, UAE, 26 June, 2013: Dr. Mohammed Ben Sulayem, President of the Automobile and Touring Club of the UAE (ATCUAE), has paid tribute to Ukrainian rally driver Vadym Nesterchuk, who died of dehydration earlier this week while training in the UAE’s Liwa desert.

The popular Nesterchuk was a regular competitor in the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge and finished fourth in the 2012 FIA World Cup for Cross Country Rallies in the T2 category.

He was training in the Rub Al Khali, or Empty Quarter near Abu Dhabi in preparation for Russia’s Silkway Rally when his vehicle became stuck in deep sand.

After failing to extract the car, Nesterchuk is said to have tried to walk to the nearest village in the area but when a rescue team located him via GPS coordinates, they found him unconscious.

Sulayem, founder of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, said the tragedy underlined the need for all precautions to be taken to provide competitor safety in desert events and guard against the threat of dehydration.

“Vadym was a very popular competitor and we are deeply saddened by this tragic news,” said Sulayem. “He will be sadly missed, and our thoughts are with his family and friends.”

“As organisers of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, which takes place in some very remote desert areas, we go to great lengths to ensure the safety of competitors, volunteers, officials and all others involved.”

“We are always looking to do more to ensure the well being of those taking part, and this is why we commissioned a report on hydration last year that will help organisers of motor sport events worldwide provide better protection for marshals, competitors, and officials from the risk of dehydration.”

The findings of the ATCUAE’s hydration study was based on research conducted last year in the UAE during the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge in April, the 2012 F1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in November, and the Dubai International Rally in December.

Presented in February 2013, it found that up to 86% of marshals at the Desert Challenge, 61% of those working on the F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and 54% of the volunteers for the Dubai Rally, were shown to be suffering from dehydration.

Added Sulayem: “We are now sharing the results of the research with all relevant government ministries and sporting bodies internationally so that everyone can benefit. It is crucial that all stakeholders involved in motor sport at any level make sure that safety is always top priority.”

The ATCUAE had been unaware that Nesterchuk was training in the country. Listed as a Priority A driver by the FIA, under regulations laid down by motor sport’s world governing body he should have informed the ATCUAE of his plans.

Nesterchuk competed in the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge a total of six times, most recently in April this year. He was also the founder and pilot of Sixt Ukraine – the first Ukranian team entered into the prestigious Dakar Rally. Nesterchuk was 42 years old, and is survived by his wife and two children.