Pinoy Hailed a Hero for Saving an Elderly Saudi Man Trapped in Flood

A Filipino expatriate has been hailed a hero for saving an elderly man trapped in a flood in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia following heavy rains in the city this week,

A video of the incident, which happened on Tuesday, has gone viral online and many netizens praised the overseas Filipino worker (OFW) for braving the murky flood water when rescuers were hesitant to do their job.

According to reports, the Filipino, identified by Almowaten as David Balendo, was among the onlookers waiting for officers of Civil Defense to rescue an elderly man trapped inside a submerged vehicle.

When the officers appeared to be hesitating to step into the water, Balendo quickly jumped in and swam towards the man before bringing him to safety.

“I saw the man trapped in the water. I did not hesitate, I left the car I was driving and rushed to save him. Civil defense men were watching me saving him,” Almowaten quoted him as saying.

After rescuing the victim, Balenndo said the Civil Defense officers told him they were waiting for the flood water to subside.

But the Filipino said he could not stand seeing a man facing imminent danger and do nothing about it.

“I knew I had to jump and brave the floods in order to save ‘Baba’,” Balendo added.

Meanwhile, the Interior Minister said he has ordered an investigation on the incident and wanted an explanation why the officers failed to save the man themselves.