Brave Norwegian Man Jumps Into A Frozen Lake To Save A Drowning Duck
Brave moments do not always look dramatic at first, but this one certainly did. A Norwegian man went in for a winter swim and ended up pulling a trapped duck out of a frozen lake.
The rescue happened when Lars Jørun Langøien spotted the bird struggling under the ice, and what started as an ordinary swim quickly turned into a race to save a life. His quick reaction drew attention because the water was freezing, the ice was thick, and the duck had very little time.
He says he was just doing what felt natural, but the photos tell a much bigger story. Read on.
This duck was out for a nice walk on the frozen lake
Suddenly, it got trapped under the ice
Lars Jørun Langøien has a Ph.D. in social anthropology and works as a researcher at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health · Division of Health Services. He has published dozens of research papers and is respected among his colleagues.
Besides science, he also loves music; he played bass guitar in a Norwegian folk-rock band called Morka. However, he loves nature above all. He enjoys swimming, even when it is freezing outside, and helping animals in distress is a wonderful bonus.
Lars immediately jumped into the freezing water to save the poor animal
Lars spotted the duck in distress while he was attending his weekly swim with a work colleague. Fellow swimmer Yngvil Søholt, 33, was photographing the duck as it wandered along the surface of the ice.
But their amusement turned to horror as they watched the billed bird plunge through a hole in the ice. He said:
"I stood there a bit paralyzed and didn't quite understand what happened. I didn't have time to think before Lars jumped in and broke the ice towards the duck. He managed to pull it up onto solid ground, give it a towel, and even perform a bit of mouth-to-mouth, actually."
Animal lover Lars told VG News: "It felt like the right thing to do."
That swim turned into a full rescue in seconds.
He brought it to the shore
And kept it warm
The duck is safe and sound. And a bit confused...
Went for a swim, saved a duck. I would say it has been a good day...
Lars Jørun Langøien became a celebrity after his daring duck rescue. However, his modesty prevents him from taking credit. He doesn’t believe he did anything special and thinks he did what any other person would do.
Maybe so, but we would add, he is a person who enjoys swimming in freezing waters.
Not every winter swim ends with a duck rescue.
For another duck family rescue, see how a concerned mother duck got help for her stranded ducklings.
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