Two anglers from Missoula, who were on their way home from a fly fishing trip in the Seychelles off the east coast of Africa, are trapped in Dubai while Iran continues its attacks on countries throughout the region. Despite multiple attempts to connect with the American State Department, Montana’s lone Congressman, and both Montana Senators, no movement is being made to help these men leave Dubai.
Stephen Simpson and Andy Bailey, both from Missoula, left for a fly fishing trip to the Seychelles a few weeks ago. Last Sunday, after a layover in Dubai, they boarded a plane to leave the Middle East. The plane pushed away from the gates, only to have the pilots then inform the passengers that Dubai airspace was closed.
Simpson and Bailey, along with all the other passengers, were stuck on the plane for about four hours before it pulled back to the gate, and everyone was escorted off the plane and into hotels at or near the airport.
The United Arab Emirates’ government is covering hotel stays and food for all stranded visitors to the country for the duration of Iran’s attacks on the region.
Trip Insurance A Bust
Bailey and Simpson opted for extra trip insurance, since they knew they’d have a layover in the Middle East. They even paid extra for political and civil unrest coverage. According to Simpson, though, the company they used for that insurance—Global Rescue—has been anything but helpful.
“Global Miscue,” Simpson quipped in an interview with Flylords. “They’ve been anything but helpful. They’d give us options that weren’t even possible. We were even signed up for civil unrest and wartime options, where they say they’ll come and get you. The only meaningful thing we even saw from them was that they’d get us a car to Oman, but the Oman border was closed.”
No Help From Feds, Congress
Simpson and Bailey have both reached out to Senators Tim Sheehy and Steve Daines, along with Montana’s lone congressional representative Ryan Zinke, for help getting home from Dubai.
All staffers have been reassuring, but Simpson said, “They’ve given us words of encouragement, but nothing real tangible. They give us a number at the state department to call, and that number just tells us to evacuate. Then that recording tells us not to depend on the US government for assistance.”
One woman from Senator Daines’ office did reach out to Simpson’s wife, which Simpson said was helpful.
Conflicting Reports
One of the major hurdles Simpson and Bailey face is conflicting reports and information about the region. They could try to leave Dubai and cross into Oman for flights, but multiple reports say that border is closed. Others claim it’s open.
The same goes for Saudi Arabia’s borders and airspace. Plus, if they leave the country, only to find that they can’t get a flight home elsewhere, Simpson and Bailey will lose their priority on commercial flights back to the United States once they resume.
“Right now, they’re saying they’re going to start flights again on Saturday, and most likely we will be rebooked for a flight on Saturday morning, Friday evening in the States,” Simpson said.
The Fishing Trip
Despite the dangerous situation they find themselves in, Simpson and Bailey were happy and optimistic during their phone interview with Flylords. They talked up their trip to the Seychelles, heaping praise on it as one of the most amazing places they’ve seen.
“The fishing was amazing, I’ve been all over the world fly fishing, everything about it is world-class,” Simpson said. “The guides were everything you could hope for, and then some. The fishing was out of this world. It was a really, really cool experience.”
This was Bailey’s first saltwater fly fishing trip, and he was similarly enthused about their time in the Seychelles.
“It was the best place to learn from the best guides in the world,” Bailey said. “I gained a lot of experience over that week.”
Gratitude For The Fishing Community
Both Bailey and Simpson expressed serious gratitude for the multiple people in the fly fishing community who’ve reached out to help them, including fly shop owner Terry Raugland, who co-owns Blackfoot River Outfitters in Missoula. Simpson and Bailey both feel the attention they’re getting from the fishing community has helped them so far, and will likely be what helps them get out of Dubai as soon as possible.
“The big thing for us is all the attention we’re getting from our community, it’s doing the most for us for our situation,” Simpson said. “The more people that are reaching out to politicians and leaders, the more likely they are to act.”
Until they get to leave, they have each other to depend on.
“This situation would be a hell of a lot worse if I didn’t have Andy sitting by me,” Simpson said.