Vipan Kumar is in the hospital after saving the girl
In January this year, an Indian-origin construction worker became a hero in Romania after he risked his life to save a five-year-old girl who fell into the ice of a frozen lake.
This act earned him the title of Honorary Citizen of Craiova.Vipan Kumar, 47, jumped into the freezing waters of a lake in Craiova, Romania, after seeing the child struggling in the water.Recalling the dramatic rescue, Kumar told Digi24 TV station: “I was walking with a friend of mine. I saw the little girl in the water, and then I immediately jumped. The water was very cold, and everything happened very quickly.”The Indian worker said there was little time to think before acting.“I just tried to pull her out of the water, and that’s all I could think about. The little girl was very brave,” Kumar said.Pictures of the rescue operation spread on social media. The footage showed Kumar making his way through the ice on a sled towards the stranded child before the ice beneath him collapsed. He was able to grab the girl’s arm and hold her above the freezing water until emergency teams arrived.
Kumar and the child were recovered from the lake and taken to hospital after suffering hypothermic shock. They were in stable condition.
The incident occurred in a city park where the girl was spending some time with her parents. At one point, she jumped off the sled and ran into the frozen lake. The ice cracked beneath her and she fell into the water.Her father immediately entered the lake to try to rescue her but was trapped in the broken ice.
People watching alerted emergency services as the situation developed.Craiova Mayor Lea Olgota Vasilescu later announced that Kumar would be given the title of Honorary Citizen of the City in recognition of his actions.“I decided to propose that he receive the title of honorary citizen. The local council of Craiova will officially grant him the title, which comes with certain benefits.”“We hope his humanitarian and altruistic gesture will inspire others,” the mayor told HotNews.
Mayor Vasilescu also shared details about Kumar’s background in a Facebook post. It said the Indian national arrived in Romania in June 2025 and recently started working for a construction company in the town of Malu Mare in Dolj County.“He is an Indian citizen. Vipan Kumar is 47 years old and has been in Romania since June. This month he became employed at a company in the town of Malu Mare, in Dolj County, as an unskilled worker in construction, and will receive a residence permit,” Lea Olguta Vasilescu wrote at the time.Kumar’s actions also received praise from his employer. The owner of the company he works for is considering rewarding him with a trip to India so he can reunite with his family. Kumar has an eight-year-old daughter who came to Romania looking for work and works as a construction worker.His quick thinking and courage transformed him from a migrant worker far from home into one of Craiova’s most famous residents.
