Swimmer who saved 20 people and nearly killed himself

Shavarsh Karapetyan — a Soviet athlete, 17-time world champion in diving and 11-time world record holder — the man who 39 years ago saved from under the water twenty doomed to death of people.

Such people exist. They are called heroes.



One day, thirty-nine years ago, a Soviet athlete left for sports. Seemingly unremarkable story in the sports world – thousands. But this is only at first glance. Because we are talking about 11-fold world record holder, 17-fold world champion, 13 times European champion, 7-times USSR champion. Athletes with such a "track record" throughout the history of sports can be counted on the fingers.

That day, the 16th of September 1976, in Yerevan fell into the water trolley rides on the dam (the driver had a heart attack). Ninety-two passengers were buried alive at ten meters depth. All of them were doomed to inevitable destruction, if not for one circumstance: it was at this time along the lake made a 20-mile training run with brother to multiple champion and world record holder in diving Shavarsh Karapetyan. Shavarsh didn't know how many people are there. He didn't know that the trolley was overflowing. He and his brother just ran to the crash site, " on the go. To think there was no time. Brother had to take, Shavarsh — get.

The water was cold. Maybe even icy, and muddy from runoff, and rising from the bottom of the silt. Depth even for the trained person, even for a swimmer without special equipment is impossible, under ten meters. Shavarsh knew that in his possession for about 15 minutes, not more.

The trolley sank, not near the shore, a little distance away. Karapetyan dived, groped staples kicked in the rear window, pulled the first victim and gave it to the brother. His legs were already cracked glass, covered in blood and shrapnel, breathing had restored, the reflex is triggered, he went down again. So it was at least thirty times. Maybe forty, though it's impossible. Or seems impossible.





Subsequently, the experts agree: no one in the world just physically could not do what I did then Shavarsh. More than twenty minutes in the icy water. Twenty lives saved. In fact, he pulled out of the trolley, but not all were saved.

Then, the question – what was then the most terrible? – Shavarsh said: "I knew that, despite my training, I will only last for a certain number of dives. At the bottom visibility was zero, so I touch enough of the man in his arms and swam him up. One time I surfaced and saw that in my hand... leather cushion of the seat. I looked at her and realized that the price of my mistakes – someone's life. This pillow is then not just dream about me at night."

Last entry – and Karapetyan from last forces attached to the trolley rope of the crane, moving it through the salon. Since the fall it has been 45 minutes. Alive inside was empty. It was necessary to save the roadmap.

Saved him 45 days. Such a feat cost him a severe bilateral pneumonia complicated by General septic into the lake of discharged urban wastewater. When he got out of the hospital, into the water he could not see the environment, the former favorite, was hostile. He came back, became champion of Russia and Europe, broke another world record last. Lungs that allowed him to be a swimmer, was already "wrong". It is their sacrifice as they could to sacrifice and life. Because it was necessary.

He forever killed his outstanding talent swimmer. But the gift of love to the people, he multiplied for these terrible twenty minutes repeatedly.published

 

P. S. And remember, just changing your mind — together we change the world! ©

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Source: fit4brain.com/8674