Pakistani with 'Canadian dream' drowns in Saskatoon lake trying to save others

A Pakistani man who had recently moved to Canada drowned in Lake Diefenbaker on Saturday while trying to help a group of people whose inflatable boat had been deflating in the middle of the lake.

Raza Aziz, 35, had recently moved to the city of Saskatoon in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan from Peshawar, Pakistan, and was a newcomer in Saskatoon, according to the CBC.

A drowning on Lake Diefenbaker was reported to the local emergency service at around 8:40pm on Saturday, per a police press release. Police and firefighters started their search following the report and discovered Aziz's body on Sunday at about 7:15am.

In addition to visiting the scene, the Saskatchewan Coroners Service requested an autopsy.

According to the police, their initial inquiry ruled out any criminal activity.

Aziz's relative, Abdul Majeed Qureshi, who lives in Calgary, a city around six kilometres away from Saskatoon, informed local media that he had recently arrived in the city to help Aziz and his family set up their household.

"The fact that he died in helping somebody else, died in service of humanity, that shows you what kind of person he was," Qureshi said. "Whoever has seen him, they can't forget how charming, how helpful, how cheerful he was. May Allah bless him. He was a very nice person."

Qureshi revealed that Aziz quickly dove into the lake after spotting three women in an inflatable boat stranded in the lake, with their paddles tangled in weeds. He said something had pricked a hole in their inflatable boat, which started deflating and caused the passengers to panic.

However, he drowned before he reached them.

"His feet got tangled in that weed, just like a fishing net. The ladies could not reach him," Qureshi said, adding that Aziz's burial will take place in Calgary.

Aziz, who is survived by a 12-year-old son and a two-year-old daughter, was a dear friend and planned to start a business together with Hanan Khan, whose wife was among the women on the boat.

Khan revealed, he wanted to be a Canadian citizen and was a "fighter doing two jobs."

"Raza was a gem. We used to meet every other day. I have never seen a precious person like him," Khan said. "He came to this country with dreams. We used to often discuss our future plans."

Khan also said that Aziz was a good swimmer but was unaware of the weeds in the water.

"I saw him getting entangled and he was struggling beneath the water. He was saying, 'I am getting stuck,' " Khan said. "I couldn't do anything. That was the last time I saw him. I can never forget that image."

Another acquaintance of Aziz, Muneeb Khan, revealed that he was having financial difficulties and had lost some of his money before arriving in Saskatoon. On the family's behalf, he created a GoFundMe page and begged supporters to contribute.

"The world lost a hero," he said.