A Senegalese migrant, Mouhammad Fada Diouf, may receive Spanish citizenship and priviledges as reward for his heroic gesture.
The 26 year old Diouf who came to Spain four years ago and makes a living weaving dreadlocks and various odd jobs, jumped into a river on Monday to save a 72-year-old man who fell unconscious into the River Nervion in the Northern Spanish city of Bilbao.
Diouf for 15 minutes kept the man afloat before other migrants jumped to help him when his strength began to fade until a nearby boat rescued them all.
After the video of the rescue went viral, a request was opened in Change.org to reward his courageous act with legal papers to stay in Spain.
He told newsmen he was with a group of friends near the river when they saw the man lose his balance and fall into the water, after recent heavy rains.
“A lot of people were standing there and recording, and nobody was able to help him.
“He was in a bad situation so I decided to save him, to help him, because I know how to swim. I knew that I could do it.’’
The professional basketball team Bilbao Basket, where Fada Diouf plays in a migrant integration programme, praised him as a great role model.
