In Antwerp on Saturday afternoon around 4.30 pm, a 2-year-old boy was taken from the Lobroekdok, not far from the Sportpaleis. “The child was taken to hospital in a worrying condition,” said the Antwerp police.
The incident occurred around 4:30 p.m. “A man was walking with two children, aged 2 and 4, at the Lobroekdok,” said spokesperson Wouter Bruyns of the Antwerp police. At one point the 2-year-old toddler ended up in the water.
The man, not the father but a relative of the children, immediately informed some fishermen who were a little further along the water’s edge. “We saw that man gesticulating and at first we thought he was also fishing,” says one of the fishermen. “But when we got closer, we immediately saw that little boy in the water. My friend jumped into the water without hesitation and brought the child to the edge where I could pull him onto dry land,” he says.
The man prefers to remain anonymous and does not want to speak of an act of heroism. “I also have a child that age, so you don’t want to think too hard about what could have happened. I immediately started CPR until emergency services arrived.”
“The young victim was taken to hospital in a worrying condition,” Bruyns said.
Second child ends up in water
In all the fuss, the second child also ended up in the water. Fortunately, that child, 4 years old, was not seriously injured.
It is not yet clear how the accident could have happened. The police started an investigation.
