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The hero of the Soier See: Otto Riedl saves four women’s lives - they thread a great honor

2021-11-24T10:11:33.069Z


He acted selflessly, put himself in danger for others. In 2020 Otto Riedl freed four women from the Soier See who had broken into. Now he received the Christophorus Medal for his glorious deed.


He acted selflessly, put himself in danger for others.

In 2020 Otto Riedl freed four women from the Soier See who had broken into.

Now he received the Christophorus Medal for his glorious deed.

Bad Bayersoien

- A layer of ice on the Soier See.

Clear sky, sunshine.

Otto Riedl shows a photo on his smartphone.

It was created on January 16, 2020. A day later, he saved four women in this idyll.

They broke in while skating.

For his commitment, Bad Bayersoier has now been awarded the Christophorus Medal in the Munich residence by Bavaria's Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU).

A few days ago he stood on the shore of the lake and thought back to the accident - together with Resi Grüning, one of the women.

She knows the lake and grew up on it.

Grüning looks at the misty water.

If she remembers the day, she by no means remembers bad conditions.

“The ice cream was good,” says the 78-year-old.

A couple of guys had asked her that shortly before from the bank.

Ried slid to the women with the ladder

On this day, January 17, 2020, Otto Riedl was also out and about in ice skates.

“Right at the back of the lake”, while her group has approached the boathouse on the overflow, says the local.

There, water washes down frozen food all the time.

"Ouch, the ice cream never looks good there," she noticed as she approached.

Too late.

The women broke in one by one.

Grüning wanted to help, but the same fate overtook her.

In the icy water, the quartet tried to reach for the surrounding ice, to lean on it.

But this broke away again and again, reports the 78-year-old.

The four women shouted loudly for help - knowing that Riedl was turning on the other side.

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Not far from the accident site on Soier See, Otto Riedl and Resi Grüning remember January 17, 2020.

© Reindl

But the 76-year-old was wearing a helmet.

That muffled the calls.

Nevertheless, Riedl took notice.

He drove towards the bank.

“I knew there was a ladder there,” he says.

“It was down by the house.” But it was heavy, made of oak, the rungs made of aluminum so that it floats.

Bad Bayersoier asked a few fellows to hand him the ladder on the ice.

With this he slipped to the women.

“He really got himself into the ice,” Grüning recalls of the scene.

“I was completely electrified,” says the first aider.

The oldest of 50 Bavarian heroes

Everyone got to the shore wet and a bit hypothermic before the fire brigade, ambulance and helicopter arrived. Grüning didn't freeze, she says today. Because of their warm clothes. First and foremost, she wanted to swap her skates for solid soles. In socks she walked along the bank to where she'd put her treadmill on the ice. Then she hurried home for a warm shower. Basically, you know that you should stay away from the overflow point, admits the 78-year-old. She will take this to heart in future when she goes on the ice.

Riedl walks to his car that he parked not far from the Soier See.

He takes out a certificate and opens a blue box.

The Christophorus medal and a pin shine in silver.

“Receiving this honor is not a matter of course,” says the 76-year-old - the oldest of the 50 Bavarian heroes in need.

He smiles.

The four women gave the impetus for this award.

“We have to do that,” they thought to themselves, says Grüning.

They suggested Otto Riedl.

After all, he is a lifesaver.

A name that might flatter the 76-year-old, but he is not, says the Soierin, “who hangs it up”.

In the end, the rescued took care of that - out of gratitude that comes from the heart.

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2021-11-24

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