Young man, police officer praised for daring rescues during Amman floods

AMMAN — “Brave” Rakan Qteishat was the talk of the town on social media after he was filmed risking his life to rescue six children trapped in a basement apartment in Amman’s Hai Nazzal area during the flash floods on Thursday.

An amateur cameraman captured the 24-year-old on film as he forced his way through fast-flowing waters to reach the window of an apartment, where children were hanging and screaming for help. 

Qteishat used a metal tool to remove the window’s iron grill to let the children out. Once the frame was removed, he and the children were swept along by the water current. 

Social media users described Qteishat as a hero who deserves to be honoured, and the video went viral.

In an interview posted on Facebook, Qtieshat said he and other young residents of the east Amman neighbourhood volunteered to help people whose houses were damaged by the floods. 

While walking in the area, he said they heard the screams of children trapped in their basement apartment. 

“We did not fear for our lives but only thought of the kids inside the house,” he said in the video interview, adding that the youngest child was only one year old, while the oldest was 12. 

Facebook users also posted a video of a traffic police officer who risked his life to rescue a man stranded in his car near the Finance Ministry in Abdali, an area that saw high water levels. 

The police officer waded into the water to reach the car and managed to open the driver-side door. The officer was then swept away by floods and narrowly escaped smashing into a large bus trapped in the water. 

The videos of Qteishat and the police officer were shared by thousands of social media users, who noted that there were likely many more unseen acts of bravery undertaken by residents of the capital during the floods.