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On Tuesday afternoon, 11-year-old Khalid Ahriouil was leaving the El-Fath Mosque in Bodegraven (Netherlands) to head home, just a few minutes away. «My father had asked me to go home and fetch his jacket and glasses». On his way back, as he cycled towards the mosque, cries for help caught his attention, Dutch media report.
«I heard someone shouting ‘Help!’» recalls the young hero. «I saw a nose and mouth emerging from the water—the rest of the body was submerged». Without hesitation, Khalid took off his father's jacket—«It was an expensive jacket», he joked—and jumped into the icy water.
To reach the girl, he had to cross a canal about 1.5 meters deep. «It was tough, there was a lot of sand at the bottom». But thanks to his quick thinking, he managed to keep her above water until an adult arrived to pull her out.
Meanwhile, his father, Hammou Ahriouil, was still waiting at the mosque. When he learned that an ambulance and a rescue helicopter had been deployed, he grew worried. «I knew Khalid was in the area».
A call from his wife quickly reassured him: Khalid was safe. Even more, he had just performed a heroic act. «We moved to Bodegraven only four months ago—it was fate that placed him there at the right time».
Proud of his actions, the boy even ran home, soaking wet, to fetch blankets. «He was worried the girl might be cold», his father shares.
For Khalid, this experience has only strengthened his ambition to work in law enforcement or security. His bravery was praised by the local police, who nonetheless remind citizens to «always ensure their own safety before intervening in a dangerous situation». The municipality of Bodegraven-Reeuwijk also recognized the young boy’s heroic deed.
As for the girl, she was briefly hospitalized for check-ups before being discharged. By the next morning, she was already back at school.
