Bystander on bicycle rescues drowning woman from Neris River in Vilnius

A woman struggling in the Neris River in central Vilnius was pulled to safety on Wednesday morning after a passing cyclist intervened before emergency responders arrived, Lithuania’s Fire and Rescue Department (PAGD) reported.

Emergency services received a call at 8:58 AM reporting a person in distress near the Green Bridge on Kalvarijų Street. The individual, later identified as a woman, was being carried downstream toward the White Bridge by the river’s current. Firefighters reached her by rescue watercraft at 9:06 AM and transferred her to paramedics for medical care.

Investigators later determined that the woman had already been pulled from the water by the cyclist, who witnessed the incident and acted immediately. “His civic courage, bravery, and swift reaction helped save a life,” PAGD stated in a public acknowledgment. “On behalf of all firefighters, we sincerely thank this person—a true hero of this event.”

Authorities urged the public to remain vigilant near waterways and dial 112 without delay if they witness emergencies. The woman’s condition was not disclosed in the initial report.