His Majesty King Abdullah on Monday honoured Civil Defence Sgt. Omar Balawneh with the Order of Dedication and Sacrifice in recognition of his heroic rescue of two Iraqi children at the Dead Sea Friday night.

King Abdullah received Balawneh, his parents, the two children he rescued and their mother at Al Husseiniya Palace.

His Majesty directed Civil Defence Department Director Lt. Gen. Talal Kofahi to promote Balawneh to the rank of warrant officer.

Kofahi had already promoted Balawneh from the rank of corporal to sergeant on the spot after the operation.

Nine people, including the two Iraqi children, were rescued by CDD divers and other rescue teams at a turbulent Dead Sea over the weekend.

Balawneh had to swim for 12 hours to save Maryam, 13, and Maher, 11, and return them to their family safe and sound.

In an interview with the police radio station, Amen FM, on Sunday, Balawneh said the wavy sea prevented him from returning to land.

The corporal covered a distance of 17km swimming, he said. He reportedly arrived at the western end of the sea, where the three were collected later by the air force.

The rescue specialist said he “cannot describe the feeling I had when I met His Majesty, who told me: ‘You deserve this decoration’,” adding: “What I did was my duty… Saving lives is our job at CDD.”

The officer noted that he was trained on this kind of rescue operation and attributed his “resolve, patience and perseverance” to the way he was raised by his parents and the training he received at the agency.

For her part, the mother of Maryam and Maher, Suad Nazzal, said: “I experienced very difficult moments over 12 hours… but CDD men were consoling me and told me that Omar was a brave man and my children would be all right.”

She added: “The moment I entered Jordan [fleeing violence in Iraq], I realised the high value attached to human life here. I take this opportunity to say how much I am grateful to Jordan, His Majesty King Abdullah and the nashama [brave men] of CDD after the experience I had and the successful rescue operation that ended with returning my children to me safe and sound.”

Maryam and Maher thanked the rescue officer, saying: “He embraced us like a father and was assuring us that we would return to our mother.”

Balawneh’s parents expressed their pride in their son, thanking the King for the gesture, “which indicates His Majesty’s keenness to support and honour achievers among Jordanians”.