Policeman saved pensioner drowning in icy river in Bashkiria

UFA, 15 January 2019. /Bashinform News Agency, Natalia Ovcharuk/ translated by Tatiana Aksyutina/.

In Bashkiria, a policeman rescued a pensioner drowning in icy water. On January 3, Pavel Zotov, instructor for the HR issues of the Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for Sterlitamak, had a rest in his summer cottage with his family. Suddenly the police lieutenant heard the screams of a little girl.

“She said that her 60-year-old grandfather had fallen into the water and could not escape. The policeman rushed to the scene. He descended a steep slope of the bank, went into the icy water and pulled out the pensioner. Fortunately, the man stayed in the water not for long. The policeman helped him get to the house. The pensioner refused to go to the hospital”, the press service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Bashkiria reports.

As it turned out later, the grandfather was walking with his granddaughter near the Sterlya River. The girl dropped her snow saucer, which rolled down to the river. The man decided to get it but fell through the ice. He could not get out by himself, and asthma prevented him from breathing evenly.

The rescuer sent a letter of thanks to the policeman. The hero was awarded on behalf of the leadership of the Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for Sterlitamak.