Refugee who nearly drowned after travelling to Australia becomes a life guard so he can save others
- Refugee who nearly drowned five years ago now saves lives himself in Australia
- Ramzi Hussaini almost died when the boat he fled Afghanistan in began to sink
- He was saved by the Australian Navy and he now works for Life Saving Victoria
- He teaches those of multicultural backgrounds to be confident in the water
A refugee who nearly drowned five years ago has been inspired by his experience to save lives himself in his new life in Australia.
Ramzi Hussaini had a near-death experience when the boat he had fled Afghanistan in began to sink – with the Australian Navy stepping in to rescue him.
Mr Hussaini now runs classes for Life Saving Victoria teaching multicultural communities how to stay safe in the water and conquer their fears about going in the ocean.
Ramzi Hussaini, (pictured) who nearly drowned five years ago, has been inspired by his experience to save lives himself in his new life in Australia
There have been 276 drownings in 2019 across Australia, and Mr Hussaini said 35 per cent of those who lost their lives were from multicultural backgrounds.
‘I put my hand up that I wanted to be a lifesaver, but the problem was I could not swim,’ he told Today.
‘The schools we deal with here are mainly new arrivals, refugees, asylum seekers and international students from universities.’
The students he teaches are some of the 22,000 people from overseas backgrounds who have participated in Victoria’s surf-lifesaving programs.
Last summer, 100 people drowned while swimming in Australia in just two months – sparking calls for more to be done to warn people of the dangers of the sea.
A person was drowning at a rate of more than one every day.
Mr Hussaini (centre) now runs classes for Life Saving Victoria teaching multicultural communities how to stay safe in the water and conquer their fears about going in the ocean
Surf Life Saving Australia national coastal risk manager Shane Daw said the high frequency of drowning deaths this summer was ‘an absolute tragedy’.
Almost a third of the drowning deaths in Australia last summer happened in New South Wales.
Mr Daw recommended airlines introducing safety videos on flights advising travellers on how to stay safe in the water.
‘To have a consistent water safety message on all our flights – whether its internationally or domestically – can only enhance what we’re doing about getting that awareness out there,’ he said.
Qantas and Virgin Australia show water safety messages onboard their flights.
Last summer, 100 people drowned while swimming in Australia in just two months – sparking calls for more to be done to warn people of the dangers of the sea (stock image)