On the evening of Monday, April 13, an inspector from the State Police (VP) Special Assignment Battalion saved the life of a 17-year-old who had jumped into the Daugava River from the Vanšu Bridge, the VP reported.
The police received a call about the young man who had jumped into the Daugava River on Monday evening. A tactical team from the 1st Tactical Unit of the VP Special Tasks Battalion, which was nearby at the time, went to the scene.
The young man was found approximately 100 metres from the shore and was calling for help. The officers located rescue rings on a nearby recreational boat, and the junior inspector jumped into the Daugava River and swam toward the drowning young man.
Realising that the rope attached to the life rings would not be long enough, the inspector asked his colleagues to untie the rope, thereby losing contact with the shore. After about five minutes, they managed to reach the young man and hand him a life ring.
Due to the strong current, the police inspector and the young man were carried about 150 meters downstream toward the sea until a suitable landing spot was found along the shoreline.
On shore, colleagues helped both of them get onto dry land, where they were also met by personnel from the State Fire and Rescue Service.
The rescued individual is a young man born in 2008, who was transported to a medical facility for further care.
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