MELBOURNE – A young Muslim hero risked his own life by leaping into Melbourne’s Yarra river to save a man in his 50s who suffered a heart attack and fell into the river.

“I didn’t think so much about myself,” Ahmed Almohaimeed told 9NEWS, adding that he “would do it again.”

Almohaimeed is a Saudi student who is pursuing a masters degree in accounting at Monash University.

Saudi daily Okaz reports that Almohaimeed was walking around the Yarra River in Melbourne when he noticed the 55-year-old man drowning in the river.

The young man jumped into the water in an attempt to assist the man, who is believed to have suffered a heart attack.

Dubbing him as “The Good Samaritan” and “The Yarra Hero,” the Australian media praised Almohaimeed for jumping into the river without thinking about his own safety.

Despite Almohaimeed’s attempts, the drowning man was too heavy, so emergency services had to interfere and pull both men to safety.

Saudi social media users have hailed Almohaimeed as a hero, expressing their pride in his courage.

“We are proud of the Saudi expat #Ahmed_Almohaimeed who risked his life to save a man in his fifties from drowning in Australia.  Because of his courage, he has been called #The_Yarra_River_Hero,” one wrote.

“#Ahmed_Almohaimeed Saudi hero saves a drowning man in Australia. Our pride,” another added.