Mountain Guide Rizuan Gets The Chance To See The Boy He Saved Again
Rizuan not only carried the boy on his back down Mt. Kinabalu, he continued to be concerned for the boy even after they reached SAR personnel at the base of the mountain.
By Sadho Ram — 12 Jun 2015, 03:07 PM
This iconic photograph of mountain guide Rizuan bringing down an injured boy, on his back, through the treacherous terrain of Mt. Kinabalu has been shared all over the Internet for millions of times, with local artists drawing inspiration from it and painting tributes
Slightly over 1.5m tall, the poster boy of the SAR efforts on Mt. Kinabalu, Rizuan, aged 25, not only carried the boy writhing in pain down Mt. Kinabalu, he continued to be concerned for the boy even after they reached SAR personnel at the base of the mountain
The Dusun native from Kampung Lembah Permai at the foothills of Mount Kinabalu told The Star that he “did not know what to feel” about being called a hero for rescuing the quake victim. “I’m not a famous person. What I did was out of sincerity, not to get fame. I really wanted to help. All that mattered was to bring the boy to safety,” he said.
The boy’s mother, using the name “Sabrena El Huda” on a Facebook page, had identified him as her son without naming him. “Thts my son from TKP ... he is currently receiving treatment for his injuries ... please continue to pray for the team... can nvr thk the Sabahan rangers enough for his rescue efforts,” she wrote.
During an interview with The Star, Rizuan had said:
"If there's a chance, I'd like to meet the boy again because I can't bear to see him like this in the picture. Actually, I can't remember how he looks like because there was blood on his face."
mothership.sg
Now, Rizuan is all set to fly to Singapore to finally meet the boy he rescued. According to The Star, the father of the Singaporean student called Rizuan a few days ago to thank him for rescuing his son, expressing the hope that they would be able to meet soon.
"I received the call a few days ago from the boy's father," said Rizuan, whose photo of him carrying the injured boy on his back had become the iconic symbol of the mountain guides’ heroism on social media following the June 5 earthquake.
During the call, Rizuan was told that the boy’s name was Wafeeq and that he was undergoing treatment for his injuries. The father also told Rizuan they would like to meet him as soon as Wafeeq got better. "I replied that I would like that very much,” said Rizuan, adding that the call was brief. “The connection was quite bad.”
Today, 12 June, as per a post on Sabah Parks' FB page, Rizuan received an invitation from the boy's parents to fly to Singapore
Meanwhile, on how he was coping a week after Kinabalu National Park's temporary closure, Rizuan told The Star he was looking forward to getting some rest. However, the worry of long-term unemployment still loomed over him and his fellow guides.
"For now, we are still jobless but we are grateful for the help and donations we have received so far," said the 25-year-old Dusun native from Kampung Lembah Permai at the foothills of Mount Kinabalu.
thestar.com.my