Fisherman Who Broke Open Crashed Plane Saving 20 Persons Get Presidential Reward (Video)

A fisherman, Majaliwa Jackson, who was broke the doors of a crashed plane to save 20 passengers in Tanzania has been appointed by the President of the country into the firefighting and rescue brigade.

According to the BBC, Majaliwa Jackson was officially declared a hero and awarded 1 million Tanzanian shillings ($430; £370) for his efforts in rescuing the passengers stuck inside the crashed plane in the lake.

Speaking about the experience, Jackson disclosed that he and three others approached the plane immediately it plunged into the lake.

He said with the help of others, they smashed the rowing oar which helped passengers seated towards the rear of the plane to be rescued.

Mr Jackson added that he moved to the front after one of the pilots communicated with each other by making signs through the cockpit window. “He directed me to break the window screen. I emerged from the water and asked airport security, who had arrived if they have any tools that we can use to smash the screen.

“They gave me an axe, but I was stopped by a man with a public announcement speaker from going down and smashing the screen. He said they were already in communication with the pilots and there was no water leakage in the cockpit,” Mr Jackson said.

He added that after being stopped, he “dived back and waved goodbye to the pilot”.

But the pilot then indicated that he still wanted to be rescued.

“He pointed out the cockpit emergency door to me. I swam back up and took a rope and tied it to the door and we tried to pull it with other boats, but the rope broke and hit me in the face and knocked me unconscious. The next thing I know I was here at the hospital,” Mr Jackson said.

Both pilots are among the 19 confirmed fatalities after the plane – operated by Precision Air, Tanzania’s largest private airline – crashed near the shore of the lake.