Saved by a Greek lifeguard, this Syrian refugee became one himself

Ibo Al-Nassar was seeking asylum in 2017 when he was saved by lifeguards in Lesbos, Greece. He then became a lifeguard himself, and helped search for missing people in Greece's Mati deadly fires.

Obada “Ibo” Al-Nassar, saved from the sea himself two years ago, joined in the rescue operation when the Greek coastal resort of Mati Source: Supplied

Ibo Al-Nassar, 23, was born and raised in Damascus, Syria, but was forced to leave his country to escape the ongoing civil war.

He first went to Turkey and lived there for a year-and-a-half. Then he decided to go to Europe and sought out a smuggler who could take him by boat to a Greek island, so he could claim asylum.

In the final of many attempts to make it to shore, the Turkish boat that carried them began to sink, and a Greek lifeguard boat picked up Al-Nassar and other refugees - including children and pregnant women - from the water, saving their lives. 

"I paid the smuggler 800 dollars to get me to Greece. Seven times we had to return back to the Turkish beach because it was too dangerous," Al-Nassar tells SBS Greek. "The last time our boat was sinking and this other boat, came to rescue us. They saved us."

Listen to our full interview with Ibo Al-Nassar in English in the following podcast:

Al-Nassar had to endure a dangerous journey by boat in order to get from Turkey to the Greek island of Lesbos. (source: Lifeguard Hellas) Source: Supplied

When he arrived in Lesbos, Al-Nassar was transferred to a refugee camp in Moria, where he stayed for months until his papers were cleared. While there, he began to attend swimming lessons from volunteer lifeguards, and he began to deeply admire their work. One such lifeguard was Spyros Mirtzakis, president and director of Lifeguard Hellas, who tells SBS Greek about his own experiences with Al-Nassar.

"First we offered swimming lessons to children and then adult refugees," says Mirtzakis. "They had a lot of free time while staying at the camp and we wanted them to learn something useful and overcome their fear of the sea. Ibo was very good. He actually wanted to become a lifeguard too and we saw him as equal. He became one of us very soon."

Listen to our full interview with Spiros Mitritsakis in Greek in the following podcast:

Mania Bikof from Lifeguards Hellas rescues a child refugee in Lesbos (source: Lifeguards Hellas) Source: Supplied

As he speaks English, Al-Nassar was able to help with translations and get closer to the Lifeguard Hellas team, whose members began to teach him lifesaving techniques, volunteer lifeguard and former water polo world champion Mania Bikof tells SBS Greek.

"Ibo wanted to give back to the people that saved him," says Bikof. "He is very passionate and one of the first to respond in times of crisis, like the Mati wildfires"

Listen to our full interview with Mania Bikof in Greek in the following podcast:

Soon Al-Nassar's dream came to be a reality. He has since moved to Athens and has now been fully trained as a lifeguard. Working as a volunteer, he says that the team of Lifeguard Hellas is now his new family. 

Ibo Azir with the Lifeguard Hellas Save & Rescue Volunteer Team Source: Supplied

From the Syrian war to the wildfires in Mati

On July 23, 2018, a small holiday village an hour's drive from Athens named Mati became the center of deadly wildfires.

Residents and properties were reduced to ashes and people were trapped on the beaches for hours waiting for help to arrive from the sea.

Boats came to their rescue providing them with a safe escape, including the Lifeguard Hellas volunteer team. It was one of the toughest missions they had encountered, says Mitritzakis, and Al-Nassar was eager to help. He responded without hesitation to the rescue operation. 

"It was very sad," says Al-Nassar. "The fires. The dead people. It was like the war zone in Syria. I wanted to do something to help. It's better than nothing."

Ibo Al-Nassar, a Syrian refugee, was one of the rescuers who helped amid the devastation of the Greek coastal resort of Mati in July 2018 Source: Supplied

All members of the volunteer lifeguard team admired the effort and help provided by Al-Nassar, who they say did not hesitate to help Greeks at risk. He offered what he could in his host country, they say, helping fellow people as a lifeguard.

"It doesn't matter if you are Greek or Syrian," says Al-Nassar. "We are all humans."

Listen to this full report in Greek by playing the podcast in the lead image.

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