A British contractor killed by ISIS-backed terrorists in Mozambique had previously survived seven near-death experiences, his family has revealed. Philip Mawer, 58, was killed by a rocket-propelled grenade while fleeing the Amarula Hotel in Palma after it was stormed by Al-Shabaab terrorists in 2021.
Gallantry in the face of danger
Mawer gave up his space on a rescue helicopter and an armoured truck so women and children could escape ahead of him. His brother Bill said he was proud of his sibling's selfless actions but admitted part of him was 'angry with him for not coming back'.
Before his death, Mawer had been bombed by Houthi rebels in Yemen, dodged rocket fire in Somalia, faced a suicide bomb in Afghanistan, caught malaria three times and narrowly escaped Ebola in Sierra Leone. His family described his 'impressive haul of near-death experiences'.
A life of adventure
Mawer worked in danger hotspots for over 30 years, including 10 years in Mozambique. He met his wife Heather while working as a chef on a Yemeni oil rig. After she died during the pandemic, he threw himself into his work.
His brother Bill described the siege: 'A private security company with a fleet of armed helicopters was holding the rebels at bay while lifting small groups of contractors, four or five at a time, from the hotel to safety. Philip was not among them. He gave up a seat he had been offered to a Mozambican woman with a child.'
Unanswered questions
The family has criticised an energy giant Philip was contracted to and were 'deeply disappointed' an inquest in Winchester had not answered key questions. Bill said: 'We do not believe there has been adequate scrutiny of the decisions and circumstances which left Philip and so many others at risk of their lives in the Amarula Hotel. Why were Philip and so many others allowed to die when the means to rescue them were so close at hand?'
