The siege of Kobani by the Islamic State was in September 2013. By 2 October 2014, the Islamic State succeeded in capturing 350 Kurdish villages and towns in the vicinity of Kobani. A wave of some 400,000 Kurdish refugees fled across the border into Turkey's Sanlıurfa Province.
Alan Wali like thousands of Kurds and Syrians fled to Germany in 2015. When he arrived in Germany he faced many challenges one of them being the language. He learned the language in a short period and learnt how to swim as he promised himself to do so when he fled to Europe by sea where he nearly drowned.
Now, Alan is a lifesaver with the German Life Saving Society (DLRG). Last year he had his first two competitions on the coast - although Alan only learned to swim three years ago. In this interview, the 26-year-old coastal hero tells how he became a lifesaver and how he has become a swimming instructor in Kitzingen, Germany.
Alan Wali carrying the Kurdish flag Source: Supplied
