LIEGE, Belgium — Two firefighters died trying to save a swan in violent currents last week.
7sur7 reported that a pumper was called to the scene and requested divers to assist in the rescue of a swan. After saving the swan, firefighter Yves Peeters got caught in the strong currents. Firefighter Christian Dejardin, the second firefighter, leapt in to try to rescue his colleague.
Firefighter Peeters died on the scene and firefighter Dejardin was transported by helicopter to a hospital where he was pronounced dead, according to the report.
“This is an operation that surprised us because it would be an easy intervention,” Hervé Fanuel, spokesman Fire Liège, told RTL reporters. “We still do not understand what happened, we have no precise information about what happened. All we know is that our firefighters were caught in swirl of the Ourthe, one on one bank and the other on the bank and that they were found unconscious.”
Both firefighters were members of the fire service in Liège.