Adrian Güttner is honoured with the Lifesaving Badge of Honour of the Free State of Saxony
Invitation for media representatives for Thursday, 8 January, 5 p.m., Chemnitz City Hall/Grüner Salon
For his courageous actions in rescuing a six-year-old child from drowning, thirteen-year-old Adrian Güttner from Chemnitz has been awarded the Lifesaving Decoration of Honour of the Free State of Saxony. Together with representatives of the Chemnitz Police Department, the Mayor of Chemnitz, Barbara Ludwig, will present the award to Adrian Güttner in a ceremony on behalf of the Saxon State Minister of the Interior.
Together with his parents and siblings, Adrian has been invited to a festive event - the date is Thursday, 8 January 2015, 5 p.m., in the Green Salon of the town hall at Markt 1 (2nd floor).
Representatives of the media are cordially invited to attend.
On 11 August 2014, Adrian Güttner saved Lucas Kund, a child who had fallen into the Chemnitz city park pond, from drowning: Together with his father and two siblings, Adrian was out cycling that day and they took a break at the city park pond. Three children were playing on the other side of the pond: a boy and a girl were standing in the water and Adrian watched as the boy suddenly went under, resurfaced, turned round and disappeared back into the water.Adrian had noticed the situation and realised that the boy's life was in danger in the water and acted immediately: he ran to the scene of the accident, ripped his T-shirt off on the way, threw his mobile phone away, shouted "I can swim!" to an elderly passer-by and managed to grab the sinking boy - six-year-old Lucas Kund - and pull the non-swimmer out of the water and onto the shore. This 67-year-old woman, Bärbel Strauch, who happened to be passing the scene of the accident, was an important witness. She saw the whole thing and brought Lucas and his two playmates home, accompanied by Adrian and his sister. (Adrian's father was waiting in the city park with his younger son.) After almost half an hour's walk, Lucas and his two playmates were handed over to their parents - apparently the children had gone to the city park without authorisation. The following day, witness Mrs Strauch informed the Chemnitz police headquarters about the rescue operation and asked for an appropriate acknowledgement of the courageous act of 13-year-old Adrian Güttner.