WATCH | ‘I’m no hero’ insists firefighter who saved boy's life

A Cape Town firefighter was re-united on Tuesday with a 13-year-old boy whose life he saved two weekends ago.

Darren Jacobs was trampled by a large crowd at the DSTV festival in Mitchells Plain on the December 2.

Jacobs was unresponsive for over 10 minutes and there were fears that there was nothing that could be done for the boy. Mogamat Nazeem Girie‚ who was working at the event as a fire safety educator‚ began performing CPR and continued for more 10 minutes until a pulse was regained. Jacobs was then transported to hospital where he lay unconscious for two days. He has since made a speedy recovery.

Arriving at Jacobs’ home in Rocklands on Tuesday‚ Girie and Jacobs exchanged a hand shake and Girie offered words of encouragement to the shy boy.

Jacobs is left with a wound to his right hip and a limp from a recovering leg injury. He smiled and sat on the couch as members of the firefighting team‚ who also worked at the festival‚ shook his hand and handed him a firefighter baseball cap and t-shirt.

Louise Jacobs‚ Darren’s mother‚ said she is overwhelmed by the recovery of her child and praised Girie for his compassion and diligence.

“I don’t have enough words to say thank you to that man. He’s like a family member to us now‚” said Jacobs. "He was even at my daughter’s wedding on Saturday. He wants no medals‚ he just says that it’s by the grace of God that he saved him." 

But the Ottery Fire Station commander insists he is no hero.

“I put it down to performing or executing your functions in a diligent manner. I’m not in awe of being seen as a hero‚ it’s just not me‚” said Girie.