Lithuania’s police have published a short video, showing scenes from a rescue mission when six people drowning off the coast near Nida were rescued by a combined team of officers, bystanders, and air force personnel.
"The conditions were extremely difficult – big waves that were pulling us into the sea. The rope I had was 30 metres long, but the drowning people were much further away – 100 metres from the shore or even further," police officer Ignas Buckiūnas said in a press release by the force.
According to the officer, there was already a chain of people in the water. However, they could not reach the people in distress. The officer swam ahead and held out a rope to them. One by one, the people were then dragged to shore.
“It took a lot of physical strength to reach and pull the terrified people, so we took turns – when someone else swam out with the rope, I stood in the human chain,” said Buckiūnas.
"It was the first time I had to rescue drowning people at sea. The adrenaline must have kicked in so that at that moment I didn't feel the cold,” said Buckiūnas, adding that people should be more careful in the Baltic Sea.
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