. >> reporter: zahir al watter is giving up on the u.s. government. we first met this syrian american in 2013, trying to find solas in his ohio garden, between frustrating calls to the u.s. state department. >> this is zahir al watter, and i'm an american from syria, and i would like to get my brother and his family from syria to here. >> for weeks, he made the same plea, trying to rescue his family. >> i am in need of your help, so please give me a call back. thank you very much. >> reporter: now, two years later, after failing to get any help from the federal government, his sister is among the dead refugees. she perished trying to escape syria with her two children. like thousands of others, she paid a smuggler to help them across the sea, hoping to reach sweden. >> once they got to the first island, my sister was getting really sick, and once they hit the land, on the way to the hospital she passed away. >> she died. why was that so important for your sister to get her kids to europe? >> because there's no place for them. they can not walk, they c

. >> this is zahir al watr. i'm an american citizen originally from syria, i'd like to get my brother and his family here. i really appreciate your help i really need your help so please give me call back, thank you very much. >> reporter: now two years later after failing to debt any help from the federal government, his sister is among the dead refugees . trying to escape syria with her two children like thousands of others she paid a smuggler to help them across the sea hoping to reach sweden. >> once they got to the first island, my sister was getting really sick. and once they hit the land, and they called and ambulance or something, on the way to the hospital she passed away. >> reporter: she died. why was it so important for your sister to get her kids to europe equal. >> because there's no place for them. they cannot work, they cannot go to school. she was to give anything she can to get them to the safety. >> el watr isn't alone. his group of syrian american friends in columbus, ohio meet often to discu