Saudi Student Ahmed Almohaimeed is being hailed as a local hero after risking his life and jumping into Melbourne’s Yarra River in Australia to save a drowning man in his 50s.
The 24-year-old student dived into the polluted, tidal river late in the evening when he saw a man struggling to stay afloat. The man is reported to have suffered a suspected heart attack.
Police and bystanders were called in to help as the man was too heavy for Almohaimeed alone. The man was rushed to the hospital, as well as Almohaimeed, who was barely conscious following the ordeal.
Speaking to 9news, Almohaimeed, who is reported by Sabq to be pursuing a Master’s Degree in Accounting at Australia’s Monash University, said, “As a human, we do care about each other, we do love each other, we have to look after each other. So, that’s why I did it.”
“I didn't think so much about myself," Almohaimeed also told the station, adding that he would "would do it again.”
Now dubbed the Good Samaritan and the Yarra Hero, Almohaimeed has since been praised by friends, Melbourne’s Saudi Arabian community, and delegates from the Saudi Arabian embassy who paid Almohaimeed a special visit from Canberra.
“What he did was a great job…and we’re very proud of him,” Doctor Gus Olwan from the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia said.
Saudi Arabian social media users have also hailed Almohaimeed as a hero, expressing their pride in his courage.
Outside Australia and Saudi Arabia, news outlets such as UK’s Daily Mail also reported on the story but chose to completely leave out Almohaimeed’s name, picture, and nationality.
