The young Pakistani received cash rewards from the Saudi Crown Prince and the citizen’s family.
Pakistani expatriate, who was recently honoured by the Crown Prince in Saudi Arabia for saving a citizen’s life, has given his first interview after the incident and explained how he saved the Saudi’s life.
Shawkat Ali Amin was honoured by Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Naif, Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister earlier this month for rescuing a young Saudi, Fahd Al Qahtani, from drowning in floodwaters.
Narrating his rescue story to Saudi Gazette, 28-year-old Shawkat attributed the successful rescue attempt to his fishing expertise, which he had mastered over the course of five years.
Recounting the incident, he said that he had left his home in Tathleet on Thursday morning for work when he saw the young Saudi man, struggling to save himself in the floods – and immediately rushed to rescue of the young man, determined to save him at an cost.
مدير مدني #عسير يسلم شوكت المكافأة المالية المقدمة له من سمو ولي العهد وزير الداخلية لقيامه بإنقاذ أحد المواطنين. pic.twitter.com/LeRyVDxYyy
— الدفاع المدني السعودي (@SaudiDCD) April 21, 2016
“Qahtani was on the top of his car at the bottom of the valley. There were people from the Civil Defense trying to save him. I decided to go into the water to join the rescue operation depending on my five years of fishing experience,” he said.
He said he used the ropes of the Civil Defense to reach Qahtani. “I put the life-saving vest on his body and the two of us held the rope tightly and were pulled out by the Civil Defense teams,” he said.
He said during the entire operation, he and Qahtani were repeating the word of monolith (No God but God) that Muslims recite before death.
“I felt extremely happy to be able to provide a humanitarian service that helped save the life of a human being,” he said.
Expressing his love for Saudi Arabia, Amin added that he was motivated in his courageous act by his love for the country and its people, with whom he has spent so many years.
For his gallantry, Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Naif honoured Amin with a financial grant – as well as receiving a cash reward from Qahtani’s family.
“I refused to accept the reward but they insisted and implored me to accept.”
Source: KhaleejTimes