Over the weekend, Latvia was stirred by news of the brave act of caring individuals who saved a man who had fallen through the ice near the sunken Swedish vessel Lady Kotlin at Mangalsala. It turned out that one of the selfless rescuers was a member of the National Armed Forces.
As previously reported, dramatic events unfolded on Sunday, February 15, at Mangalsala that could have ended in tragedy — around 1:30 PM, approximately 250 meters from the shore, near the wreck of a Swedish ship, a man fell through the ice. Senior Sergeant Kaspar Pildigovich was nearby, having come to Mangalsala with his family. The moment he noticed the man disappearing under the icy water, he rushed to help.
"On Sunday, I went with my family to a popular tourist spot — the Mangalsala pier. It is a favorite place for walks and photography near the nearby shipwreck," Senior Sergeant told the Sargs.lv portal.
"At the moment we were taking a family photo, I noticed that the man had fallen through the ice and disappeared under the water for a moment, so I acted immediately," Kaspar recalls. "To safely approach the victim, I used my clothing (my outer jacket) and, crawling on the ice, extended the jacket to the man, which he was able to grab onto."
Sargs.lv notes that Senior Sergeant Kaspar Pildigovich is an experienced serviceman, distinguished by his high professionalism during service, which has been recognized with awards he has received.
Soon, another person rushed to help, holding onto the soldier's legs to jointly pull the victim from the water. "At the moment of extraction, the man was in a state of severe shock and was very frightened, but after about five minutes, he came to his senses, realized he was safe, and was able to say thank you. Then the victim successfully returned to the shore on his own to warm up in a car," added the serviceman of the National Armed Forces.
He admitted he was surprised by the indifference of those around, as there were many people on the pier at that moment, but no one rushed to help the drowning man.
The Sargs.lv portal urges residents to be especially cautious when moving on ice and reminds that the strength of the ice can be uneven even in places that seem safe. The municipal police, in turn, warns that going onto the ice in this area of the Baltic Sea is prohibited and can cost not only a fine of up to 100 euros but also lives.
It is worth noting that the second person who rushed to help was a man named Jurgis, with whom the rescued man took a joint photo. "Jurgis, I am grateful that at the moment when I needed help, a brave and decisive person was nearby. Tell your daughter that she has a good and brave dad. If this message reaches you, I would like to thank you personally. I wish there were more men like you in our country," he wrote, turning to social media with a request to help find his rescuer.
After some time, the man reported: "Jurgis has been found! I hope to have a photo with him soon, where we are both dry. Friends, thank you for your responsiveness; without you, the hero would not have been found! Thank you for the kind words in the comments. Take care of yourselves and make the world around you better. Hugs to everyone!"
