A citizen of Kosovo origin, Rrustem Hysenaj (38), has rescued a 71-year-old man from the Aare River near Aarau in Switzerland, preventing a potential tragedy.
The incident occurred early Monday morning, when Hysenaj was on his way to work. An unknown passerby stopped him and asked for urgent help, telling him that an elderly man was on the banks of the river and could not get out of the water on his own.
Decisive intervention
Initially unsure of the situation, Hysenaj decided to follow the person to the river, where he saw the 71-year-old man in the cold water, struggling to hold on. The water temperature was around 15°C.
Together with another helper, he managed to get the elderly man out and transport him to a safe place.
"He was completely wet and shivering non-stop," said Hysenaj, adding that the elderly man was in a state of hypothermia and very tired, albinfo.ch reports.
Care until the emergency arrives
The two rescuers administered first aid and kept him under observation for about 20 minutes until emergency services arrived. The elderly man is said to have been in the water for about 45 minutes before he was rescued and then taken to hospital.
Circumstances still unclear
Aargau cantonal police have confirmed the incident, but it is still not known exactly how the 71-year-old ended up in the river.
Hysenaj says that his colleagues greeted him with humor after the event.
"At work they jokingly call me 'Superman,' but I just did what I had to do," he said.
t7 live
