MOSUL, Iraq — Mohammed Jasim died just 24 years young after rescuing eight people in the Mosul ferry incident on March 21.
When Mohammed saw a woman waving her hands about to die, he immediately jumped into the water to rescue her.
After rescuing nine drowning people, he tried to rescue a ninth. They both drowned.
"His farness has left a great sorrow in my heart," his mother Yazi Ahmed told Rudaw.
On the day of the disaster Jasim received 5,000 IQD ($4) and went to rescue people.
"He was a youth and about to be a man. He had a great moral," explained his mother.
He has become a symbol in the city. And his story has spread locally.
Jasim Ahmed, Mohammed's father, wants to make a statue for his son.
"Make a statue of my son to see him as a symbol. We want to assume that he’s still alive. We don’t want money or anything else. We want him to be a symbol," he said.
At least 100 people died when the ferry capsized. Three rescue divers also passed away.
Reporting by Hunar Rashid