A police officer from Mszczonów in the Mazovian Voivodeship, while on vacation in Turkey, rushed to the aid of a drowning man. Spokeswoman Sergeant Patrycja Sochacka of the Żyrardów Police Department reported that the drowning man was lucky to encounter an experienced swimmer.
According to Sergeant Patrycja Sochacka, the spokesperson for the Żyrardów District Police Headquarters, Officer Sergeant Paweł Nietrzebka, along with his family, was on vacation in Kemer, southwestern Turkey.
“While swimming in the sea, he noticed a man drowning, who was crying for help and disappeared under the water moments later,” the spokeswoman reported.
Without hesitation, the police officer dived in and noticed that the man was releasing air and sinking. The officer managed to bring the drowning man to the surface, but the man held onto his rescuer and pulled him underwater.
“Sgt. Nietrzebka freed himself, approached the man from behind, applied a rescue grip, and towed him to a buoyed area, securing his hands with ropes so that his head remained above the surface,” the policewoman recounted.
Once the drowning man calmed down, the officer decided to seek help while continuously observing the victim. He swam to the shore and ran to the swimming equipment rental, where he informed two lifeguards about the incident.
The three of them approached the victim on jet skis, who was tightly holding onto the rope. The lifeguards pulled him out of the water and transported him to the shore, where he received assistance.
It turned out that the drowning man was fortunate to encounter an experienced swimmer. The spokeswoman of the Żyrardów Police Department stated that Sgt. Nietrzebka is trained as a paramedic and has been a lifeguard for 30 years.
“The police officer also frequently participates in the recertification of other police officers in first aid, which is systematically organized by the Personnel and Training Department of the Provincial Police Headquarters in Radom,” she emphasized.