The feat Shavarsh Karapetyan

The feat of the sportsman
One day, thirty-seven years ago, a Soviet athlete ever left the sport. It would seem unremarkable story of the sports world - thousands. But it - only at first glance. Because we are talking about 11-fold world record holder, 17-time world champion, 13-time European champion, seven-time champion of the USSR. Athletes with the "track record" in the history of sports can be counted on the fingers.
On that day, 16 September 1976, in Yerevan fell into the water trolley rides on the dam. Ninety-two passengers turned out to be buried alive in the ten-depth. They were doomed to certain death if not for one thing: it is the time along the lake made a training run 23-year-old multiple champion and world record holder in diving Shavarsh Karapetyan
Subsequently, experts agree: no one in the world just physically could not have done what he did then Shavarsh.
... Number 15, rumbling, went the usual route along the sandy causeway Yerevan Lake, the windows hung a wet day in September ... Who said that the driver had a heart attack, who recalled that some disgruntled passenger started with him cook, who is now out? But the trolley fell from the bridge and left a stone in the water ...
But Shavarsh Karapetyan with his brother, Kamo escaped Cross with a backpack. Seen plucked from the dam and hovering in the air above the lake gray red trolley - and a second ripples, Having closed over more human beings. 15 minutes - the maximum that they hold on there: it was clear from the beginning ...
Trolleybus quickly plunged into the murky water, it has drifted from the dam 25 meters, and he continued to dive. The depth was about ten meters. Shavarsh ran back, dropping the backpack, tearing clothes on the run.
Snatched the death
Without stopping, he threw himself into the water. Nothing could be seen: the water in the lake was muddy. In addition, the trolley raised from the bottom of a thick cloud of silt. Shavarsh found the lower rungs, which leads to the roof, grabbed it with both hands; I hit the glass legs and penetrated into the trolley. Immediately I felt someone's body and forcefully pulled him over. At that moment he realized that before diving blunder: it was necessary to perform hyperventilation - a few deep breaths. He knew that after hyperventilation can survive under water for more than four minutes. Of course, with fresh forces. Now he had to stay only for super efforts. Suffocation was becoming unbearable.
When Shavarsh emerged, his brother was already on shore. Assessing the situation at the bottom, he realized that he would have to save people to him. Though Kamo and was an athlete, a submariner, his skills were not enough. Later, all the experts agreed that it could perform only one person - Shavarsh Karapetyan.
Broke through the tight cordon Vladimir Karapetyan Samsonovich now stood on the shore and each time left - mentally - with the son of the water. He saw that all her son's body lacerated fragments of window glass, and clearly aware that the mere loss of blood may, at any moment, cost him his life. But he knew that this work could only perform his son.
Twenty minutes in ice water. Twenty survivors. In fact, he pulled out of the trolley more, but not all managed to return to life. The last of the rescued, he raised his already unconscious. When brought aqualung, they did not have air. Shavarsh sure: if not empty bottles, he would have saved all.
Then, the question - what was then the worst? - Shavarsh said, "I knew that, in spite of all my training, I would last only for a certain number of dives. There, at the bottom of the visibility was zero, so I snapped a human touch in his arms and swam with him upstairs. One time I surfaced and saw that my hands ... leather cushion of the seat. I looked at her and realized that the price of my mistake - someone's life. This pillow then do not just dream about me in the night ».
Such a feat cost him severe bilateral pneumonia complicated by a general blood poisoning - were thrown into the lake of urban sewage. Doctors with great difficulty saved his life, but on the same physical form is not out of the question.
He is forever ruined his outstanding talent swimmer. But the gift of love to the people, he multiplied during those terrible twenty minutes repeatedly.
In an interview with Men's Health, says Shavarsh:
- Sometimes I ask myself this question: if I did not go into the water? So what? And I would asshole for his people. For humanity. Figure with him, champions may be other - and for those people do not need a champion. They need to live ...
As he thanked
 - After the publication of an article about the feat Shavarsh letters to the editor came sacks. It was just a barrage! Collective letters from plants, with nuclear-powered ships, everywhere. They promised that it will make the Minister of Sports. Instead, he was appointed director of the junior school.
UNESCO Director-General in Paris, presented a special award Shavarsh sign. Then this feat was not even mentioned in the UN. I flew for the third time in Yerevan and talked with the first secretary of the Communist Party of Armenia. Again promised ... At this point, a strange thing happens. Shavarsh give the order "Badge of Honor". And according to the law of the USSR, if given at least some reward, then later in the period of five years to reward had no right! We are writing addressed to Brezhnev. Thrice played on TV.
Now I understand why they were afraid. They understood that the award Shavarsh scrape shine with their zvezd.Kstati speaking, newsboys, alert the world about this amazing feat, and was told that none of those people Karapetyan brought back to life, made no effort to ensure that at to know the name of their savior ... None of the survivors came to Shavarsh and thanked him.
After quite a bit of time after recovery, he - just as suddenly - turned out to be another emergency and began swiftly and selflessly to save people who were dying from another terrible disaster - fire, fire engulfed the multi-storey building. And again - a lot of people saved and again injuries, burns Shavarsh. Fantastic? No, reality, true story, the creation of reality and man.
Vadim Leybovsky "20 lives Shavarsh»
That was then
Shavarsh life divided into "before" and "after." Seven-time champion of the USSR, 15-time winner of the USSR Cup, the 11-time world record holder, 17-time world champion, 13-time European champion. All of these titles have been forgotten. He left to coaching, but did not get. He settled as an engineer at the plant. Then he went with his family abroad. In 1993 he came to Moscow. He did not have anything: no money, no registration, no apartment. He was trying to survive.
Married. Nelly learned about who saved people in the Yerevan Lake, only from the newspapers in 1982. Like the rest of the country. As are saved. Suddenly it became possible to talk about that with the fall of dams trolley ...
Average host workshop
Nobody in the world is not physically able to do what he did then onObuvnaya workshop in the south-west of Moscow: six Masters, more than a hundred pairs of shoes a day from all over the region. Muscovites know that Armenians - excellent shoemakers, and very fond of his uncle Shavarsh. He stands behind the counter, takes the shoes to be repaired, and when a lot of work, he sits down at the machine.
The increase in rents hardest impact on small enterprises. Everyone has to survive on its own. To create in Moscow of his shoemaker Shavarsh Karapetyan took no less energy and courage than when he saved people from drowning trolley in Yerevan. However, a multiple world champion in diving continues to smile every visitor.
His shoe shop called "Second Breath". The name came up friends, who in 1976 helped to shore. Today, they work together with him. It is said that Shavarsh not changed - still struggling. Only now - for your business. Taxes, fees, rent increase - the usual troubles of a small enterprise.
Shavarsh smiling - nothing comes easy. Even in 1976, did not ask for and did not expect awards, the main thing - that it is still needed. Recently, for the first time called one of the twenty survivors, he asked me to help with the work. This means Karapetyan says that he is remembered.
PSUzhe create a theme, I find more information about Shavarsh Karapetyan ... this event occurred before the event in Yerevan ...
Rescue 8 January 1974
January 8, 1974 Shavarsh Karapetyan was returning by bus to the sports base of Tsakhkadzor (All-Union sports facilities for training of Soviet athletes for Olympic competition) in Yerevan. In the bus at the time there were more than thirty passengers, including athletes. On the steep rise the driver had to stop, because the observed malfunction of the motor, and exit. At the same moment a driverless bus drove off. No driver first noticed Karapetyan, who was sitting closest to the cab driver. He broke his elbow the glass wall separating the cockpit from the cabin, in an attempt to stop the bus and avoid falling into the gorge. Shavarsh sharply to the right bus to the side of the mountain. It was after this incident Shavarsh Karapetyan, when asked how he did it, he said his famous phrase: "I just had the closest ...».




Source:

Tags

See also

New and interesting