Status: 15.01.2024, 19:46 PM
By: Lisa Metzger
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On Saturday, two young girls played on a frozen pond in Fürth. Suddenly, the ice sheet breaks and both of them travel into the water. Luckily for them, a 28-year-old passer-by happens to pass by.
Fürth – "It all happened so fast," said Andreas Paksa in an interview with BR. The 28-year-old unexpectedly became a lifesaver on Saturday, January 13: He and his girlfriend were out with the dog when they heard the cries for help. Two girls, nine and ten years old, had already been in the ice water while playing on a frozen pond at the time, according to Paksa, only held on to the fractures of the ice surface so as not to sink.
Rescuer approaching on his stomach
What followed was a courageous action that probably saved the lives of the two girls: While his girlfriend dialed the emergency number, Paksa took off his jacket and went on his stomach onto the ice. To the BR he describes the rescue operation: He crawled a good four meters to the girls, several times he threw the dog leash to them. Until finally one of the two got hold of her and pulled her ashore. A little later, he also managed to save the second girl.
Entering the ice rink prohibited © picture alliance / dpa (symbolic image)
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How did he know to react correctly in such a dangerous situation? He doesn't know that himself, Paksa told BR. However, he could remember holding an information flyer from the German Lifesaving Society (DLRG) in his hands years ago. Thanks to the courageous and correct intervention of the 28-year-old, the girls could even be rescued from the ice water before the rescue services arrived. Both were taken to a hospital for suspected hypothermia.
Breaking into the ice: Correct behaviour in an emergency is crucial
When a person breaks through the ice cover of a lake, time is of the essence. However, rescuers like Paksa should not forget their own safety. The correct technique is crucial: You have to move on your stomach on the ice in order to distribute the weight in the best possible way and not collapse yourself. However, there is still a residual risk – you have to know that. Helping someone else out of such a situation is also risking their own lives.
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