Not by police car, not by boat, but by pedal boat – this is how traffic policemen reached the crew of a sailboat that had capsized on the Rybnik Reservoir. The officers used a water craft powered by their own legs to reach six people as quickly as possible, one of whom was in the icy water and the others were sitting at the bottom of the boat.
As the Silesian police reported on Thursday, the action took place on Wednesday afternoon. Earlier, a group of six friends decided, as has been the case for years on New Year's Day, to go sailing on the Rybnik Reservoir.
This time, due to a strong gust of wind that blew over the region on Wednesday, their boat capsized.
Read also: The 91-year-old saved her great-granddaughter and died herself
An unusual rescue operation by police officers
At that time, police officers from the Rybnik traffic police were closest to the reservoir. They heard the news about the overturned boat and several people in the water on the radio when they were at the southwestern shore of the reservoir.
In the area of the “Kotwica” sailing center, the police noticed a pedal boat. Two of them boarded it and sailed away; the third one stayed on the shore and helped members of the sailing club launch a yacht standing nearby. Other police patrols, firefighters and an ambulance were called.
The incident took place on the Rybnik ReservoirSilesian police
At the scene of the accident, five men were sitting at the bottom of the capsized sailboat, one was in the water. The police first pulled the hypothermic 71-year-old man from the water and returned to the marina to hand him over to paramedics. Then they transported the 49-year-old boat helmsman ashore.
By this time, the crew of the sailing club's yacht was able to swim to the remaining people from the capsized boat. The survivors were transported to the shore. As local police emphasized, the operation ended successfully, among others. because everyone had life jackets.
Rybnik Reservoir
The 550-hectare Zalew Rybnicki was created by damming the waters of the Ruda River. It was put into operation in December 1971 as an accompanying investment to the large coal-fired power plant located on its banks, which is now gradually closing down.
The water from the reservoir was used to cool the turbines: the water heated in this way was discharged back. As a result, the reservoir did not freeze in winter, which, among other things, it attracted numerous birds for wintering. In turn, from April to October the temperature did not drop below 15 degrees.
After the end of operation of the oldest power units, which used a flood for cooling, even newer units are used, using cooling towers (a new gas-steam unit is also being built). As a result, the temperature of the water in the reservoir decreased: in January 2024, the reservoir froze over its entire surface.
The reservoir is still of local flood protection importance. It is liked by anglers: it has gained the reputation of one of the best fishing spots in the country. It also attracts water sports enthusiasts. There is a camping site, accommodation and catering facilities above it.
Main photo source: Silesian police