With part of his skill development in surf lifesaving at Cronulla, he also undertook Inflatable Rescue Boat (IRB) crew training and brushed up on his first aid.
Working as a volunteer surf lifesaver in Wollongong earlier this year, he was able to rescue a child who was caught in a rip and more recently, resuscitated his own father who had stopped breathing.
“I applied CPR techniques and by the time, the ambulance arrived, he was conscious again before they took him to hospital,” Mouhamad said.
“Thanks to Swim Brothers and the training I got through them, the child and my father might not be here.”
Mohamed is one of hundreds of young men from a migrant background, to benefit from the Swim Brothers’ 15-week, culturally-appropriate, learn-to-swim program.
It was founded by Omar Mahmoud and Feroz Sattar after a group of eight men had to be rescued from a rip at Seven Mile Beach near Forster in 2019 – luckily for them, there were off-duty surf lifesavers nearby.
People from migrant backgrounds are significantly over-represented in drowning statistics and it’s a trend that Omar and Feroz want to reverse, with a new group of graduates receiving their bronze medallions last weekend and becoming fully fledged volunteer lifesavers.
“Many migrants love the thought of swimming, especially in the ocean, but they are unaware of its dangers,” Omar said.
“Our program teaches them about the dangers and gives them skills to overcome challenges.”
To find out more or register for a class: swimbrothers.com.au.
