Malaga's asylum-seeker storm hero flooded with 600 job offers after dramatic rescue

The heroics of Mansour Konte, the young asylum seeker from Guinea who went viral online after he rescued a fear-stricken woman during the 'Dana' storm in Malaga last week, have been rewarded with a job offer. Known as the 'hero of Sostoa', the 19-year-old will move to León in the north of the country after an employer watched the video of him rescuing the woman from floodwaters and decided to reach out and hire him.

Mansour, who arrived in Spain in 2019, went viral on social media when during the 'Dana' weather event last week he braved flash flooding on Calle Héroe de Sostoa in Malaga city and waded through the waters to rescue Cristina, a young woman who had become trapped. His heroic gesture did not go unnoticed and, moved by his bravery, Luis Villafañe, owner of World Panel 2021, decided to offer him a job .

Mansour, who arrived in Spain as part of the immigrant reception programme, never imagined that a spontaneous and selfless act would change his life. Last Wednesday 13 November, when the city was inundated, Mansour was in the kitchen of his house when he saw Cristina, paralysed by fear in the middle of the street. Mansour rushed to her aid, took the young woman in his arms and carried her to safety under the astonished gaze of residents.

World Panel 2021 SL, a small company from León dedicated to the assembly of sandwich construction panels, has been committed to integrating immigrants into the workforce for months. Villafañe, aware of the importance of offering opportunities to those seeking a "better future" in Spain, has incorporated several immigrant workers into his team. Among them are employees from countries such as Senegal, Gambia and Guinea.

After hearing Mansour's story, Villafañe did not hesitate to contact the reception centre in Malaga that takes care of the young Guinean to offer him a position in the company. Villafañe said that, despite the high demand for jobs he receives every day, Mansour's attitude and commitment were decisive in his decision. "What we value most in our company is willingness and effort. Mansour demonstrated these qualities in his heroic act, and I am sure he will be an excellent addition to our team," Villafañe pointed out.

After receiving more than 600 job offers since his story became known, the young Guinean chose León as his new destination. Villafañe said the plan is for Mansour to arrive in León at the start of January next year, however "everything can change if he doesn't like the cold", he joked.