German Swimmer Florian Vogel Saves Drowning Victim During Photo Shoot

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Photo Courtesy: SRA Rick A. Bloom, U.S. Air Force

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German swimmer Florian Vogel, who is only 20 years old and is currently ranked tenth in the world in the 400 meter freestyle, can add saving a life to his list of successes in 2015.

According to a piece from Promiflash, a popular celebrity website from Germany, Vogel heard a woman screaming while he was doing a photo shoot by the Isar River.

While he was shooting, a woman drove her car into the river, where she started to cry for help. Without hesitation, Vogel set out to try to save the woman.

The temperature of the river was 14.4 degrees Celsius, which is approximately 58 degrees Fahrenheit. Most competition swimming pools are kept around 78 degrees Fahrenheit. The river is also known to have a strong current.

“I wasn’t thinking about anything else at that moment, she just wanted to be saved,” Vogel said in the piece. Overcoming the temperature, the current and the swimmer was difficult for Vogel. “With her grip I could only swim one-armed,” he said.

Vogel did manage to get the woman to shore where she was met by a doctor, but the woman was no longer responsive. “That was the hardest race of my life and the most glaring thing I have ever experienced. I saved someone’s life, incredible,” he said.

Vogel will continue his training for the World Championships in Kazan, Russia.

The article is available here in German.

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Kiwi
8 years ago

It is said in several articles I have just read online about it that the woman whom Vogel rescued actually had tried to kill herself by jumping into the river. That is what a police spokesperson says.

Either way, it’s definitely a nice story!

Florian Vogel
8 years ago

Thanks to everybody ☺️✌

Keep on swimming ?

Swimming World
8 years ago
Reply to  Florian Vogel

Congrats, Florian Vogel! Great job!

Katinka Brown-Muizelaar
Reply to  Florian Vogel

Wow, thats awesome ?

Jocelyne Humbert O'Kane

Swimmers are awesome people

Daniel Lopez
8 years ago

Greatest challenge ever.
You were ready… 🙂

Apostol Adrian
8 years ago

Bravoooo!

Dorothea Brandt
8 years ago

Florian Vogel

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