19-Year-Old Saves Two Men from Drowning at Šoderica
Viktor Lovreković from Koprivnica jumped into the lake without hesitation and pulled two men to shore after their pedal boat sank.
Viktor Lovreković from Koprivnica jumped into the lake without hesitation and pulled two men to shore after their pedal boat sank.
Thanks to 19-year-old Viktor Lovreković from Koprivnica, a member of the Šoderica Diving Club and a newly enrolled law student, a tragedy was averted at Lake Šoderica last Sunday around 10 PM. A casual outing with friends turned into a heroic act in which he saved two men from drowning, one of whom was around 35 years old.
Viktor and his friends were about to head home when they heard shouts from the water. "We were bored in town, so we came to Šoderica for a bit, and one of my friends jokingly asked if I was going to swim, and in the end, I really did end up in the water. We were practically leaving when we heard a cry for help from the water. One man was calling for help, and the other was shouting that he didn't need it, so at first, given the darkness, I couldn't tell if they were joking or genuinely needed help," Viktor told Podravski list.
Despite the conflicting shouts, Viktor jumped into the water and headed toward the men. The rescue was made easier by the fact that the men had their phones in their hands, so they were flashing their lights, which helped him find them in no time.
"The one who was shouting that he didn't need help was a swimmer, while I took the other one and laid him on my back and headed for the shore. The man who was swimming was already at the end of his strength, so my help actually came in handy for him too," Viktor described. The most important thing for him was to keep the men from panicking, because then he wouldn't have been able to help them.
"I somehow managed to calm the man who was calling for help, and in no time we reached the shore. How exhausted and in shock the other man was is shown by the fact that he didn't dare to stand on his feet even at the shore, where he could have stood without any problem," he added.
After the rescue, the men explained to Viktor and his friends what had happened. They had taken a pedal boat that wasn't secured with a chain and went for a ride on the lake, even though it was clear that it was faulty for that very reason. The pedal boat sank, leaving them in the middle of the lake.
"Even if I didn't know the lake, I would have done the same thing, and my friends who were with me told me that from the first cry for help, they knew I would jump into the water and go save those men, even though they were actually reckless," Viktor said.
While Viktor was saving the men, his friends called the emergency services. The rescued men ended up being examined at the Koprivnica hospital, and Viktor, along with a friend, also drove their car to the hospital for them.
"They thanked me right after the rescue, but we haven't been in touch since. I just hope they won't have such or similar recklessness on their minds again, and that everyone else will realize that you need to be extremely careful when around water," Viktor Lovreković concluded.
