Man rescued from water near Rauma pier by quick-thinking local

A man fell from his boat into the water near a pier, and Ville Salonen from Rauma quickly recognized the dangerous situation from the shore. Without hesitation, he jumped headfirst into the sea. “In hindsight, the jump felt like something out of an American action movie. I know the spot very well – it’s about three meters deep with no rocks,” Salonen stated.

The incident unfolded while Salonen was out for an evening walk with his wife, stopping to chat with friends by the pier. He noticed something unusual about a boat drifting close by. “At first, I didn’t realize what was wrong. Then it hit me that something had fallen from the boat. A dog or a person,” Salonen recalled. It turned out to be a person.

After jumping in, Salonen tossed a life ring to the man, but he struggled to grab it. Later, it was revealed that the individual who fell was mobility impaired, making it difficult to grasp the rescue equipment. The boat’s engine had stalled, and the man had tripped over a line, leading him into the water. Unfortunately, he had removed his life jacket before reaching the harbor.

Bystanders called emergency services, and others rushed to help. “We managed to get the man to safety as a team,” said Salonen. Jukka Rantala, the chairman of Finland’s swimming teaching and rescue federation, stresses the civic duty to assist in emergencies, with the first step being to call for help by dialing 112.

He advises rescuers to use any available equipment as a barrier between themselves and the victim, ensuring personal safety. Even familiar surroundings can hide hazards. Above all, Rantala urges all boaters to keep their life jackets on until safely docked. The most important thing is that the man was saved, despite the stressful circumstances, which left both Salonen and Rantala reflecting on the unpredictable nature of rescue situations.