Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — In a matchless humanitarian gesture that knows no borders of countries and religions, a young Saudi scholarship student miraculously saved a 94-year-old Australian man who was trapped inside his burning home.

The elderly man is convalescing from burn injuries at a hospital in the Australian city of Adelaide.

Nooh Al-Harbi’s heroic act became an instant hit, and he emerged as a hero on social media platforms. It was quite accidental for Nooh, who is pursuing his higher studies in Adelaide, to get the opportunity to save a human life, while risking his own life.

“While I was returning from university at around 1 p.m. last Saturday, I heard an old woman’s hysterical voice begging for help to save one of the family members from the flames of fire that almost engulfed their home from where dense smoke was billowing. The sound of mild explosions apparently from electric cables could be heard then,” he recalled.

Nooh continued saying: “When I arrived in record time, I tried to enter the house through the main doors but could not do so due to the intensity of fire, prompting me to smash windows.

“The strong hammering inflicted deep wounds on my arm, which, however, I did not feel at the time. The breaking of windows turned out futile, as I could not succeed in my attempt to enter. I did not stop the attempts to enter the house.”

Nooh said he managed to enter at last after breaking the back door with the help of an Australian citizen. “I instantly rescued the elderly man who was lying on the ground after sustaining burn injuries and was in the midst of flames and billowing smoke.

“I rushed to bring the man out through the window, after following directives from the Civil Defense teams who had reached the scene by that time,” he added.