Olympic hero Andy Turner’s daughter stranded in Dubai as Iran missiles rain down
Carmen Gaynor-Turner, 19, flew to Dubai for a job opportunity, but her first trip abroad alone turned into a nightmare after Iranian missiles and drones were shot down over the city
Olympic athlete Andy Turner’s 19-year-old daughter Carmen is stranded in Dubai (Image: Submitted)
The teenage daughter of Olympic champion Andy Turner who jetted off to Dubai for her maiden solo adventure has found herself trapped in a city under bombardment. Carmen Gaynor-Turner has described ‘terrifying’ evenings huddled in her Airbnb flat as Iranian drones and missiles were intercepted above.
The 19-year-old departed for the UAE last Thursday for a five-day break after being offered employment as a property agent there. Yet within 24 hours her dream getaway transformed into a living nightmare following Donald Trump’s comprehensive offensive against Iran, triggering revenge strikes throughout the Middle East.
Carmen, from Bramhall, Stockport, revealed: “I came out here to see if it was somewhere I could see myself living and if I would be OK on my own. Now I’m just desperate to get home.”
The former Hazel Grove High School student described how the tower block containing her Airbnb at Dubai Marina trembled as rockets and drones were destroyed during the initial barrage on Saturday. She explained: “I could hears bangs all day, but I thought it was building works.”, reports the Manchester Evening News.
“Then I read that they were missiles, but I couldn’t see them initially. Then on Saturday they were shaking my apartment. The windows were shaking. You could the missiles that were being shot down.
“The missile alerts were going off all night. You got about two hours sleep at a time. This morning when an alert went off you could see all the children running inside. It’s terrifying for them.”
Carmen was scheduled to return home on Tuesday, but like thousands of others, her flight was cancelled. She’s now secured a seat on an Emirates flight to Manchester in the early hours of Sunday and is fervently hoping it departs as scheduled.
After spending a week in the AirBnB, she relocated yesterday (Thursday) to stay with a family friend who owns a property in Damac Hills, roughly 20 minutes inland. This means she’s now further from the main areas being targeted by the strikes.
However, she admits she’s still spending most of her time indoors and is fearful of venturing too far from the property in case another missile attack is initiated.
She explained: “Online you can see people saying everyone carrying on as normal. Certain areas are, people are just strolling around, but then when the missiles start it’s just dead. There’s no cars on the roads and most people are staying inside.
“It’s really difficult. I am away from all my family. It’s my first trip away by myself. It’s affected me massively, but I don’t want to panic anyone further. I know I’m safe, but at the same time it is terrifying.”
Carmen’s father Andy is the former European and Commonwealth 110m hurdles champion. He represented Great Britain at three Olympic Games and is a former World Championship bronze medallist.
After stepping away from athletics in 2014, the 45 year old turned to body-building and now operates as a personal trainer at an upmarket gym in Altrincham.
Speaking from her Stockport home on Friday morning, Carmen’s mother Natalie Gaynor-Turner, 46, revealed the family were preparing backup arrangements should Sunday’s flight be scrapped, including the prospect of Andy journeying to the Middle East. She continued: “It’s just your worst nightmare. I am a wreck. I’m not sleeping.
“We’re trying to keep busy and keep working, but it’s just so stressful. She’s very independent but I don’t think anyone would be able deal to deal with this on their own. She shouldn’t have to go through it.”
