In the Karaganda region, 13-year-old Nuraly Alkhan saved a four-year-old child who ended up in the water after an inflatable mattress overturned, reports infohub.kz.
The incident occurred in early August on Lake Semizbugay in the Bukhar-Zhyrau district. Due to strong winds, the mattress on which the toddler was lying flipped over, and the child fell into the water.
Nuraly, who was nearby, without hesitation jumped into the water and managed to pull the child to shore.
The teenager's heroic act became known through social media. Following this, the head of the Karaganda region police department, Negmet Ismagulov, invited Nuraly and his mother to a meeting.
"I learned about Nuraly's deed from social media and was sincerely impressed by his courage. At a critical moment, he did not lose his composure and, risking himself, saved the life of a small child. Such an act deserves respect," Ismagulov noted.
The teenager's mother, Samal Abdrakhmanova, said that at first she was scared for her son, but after learning about the rescue, she felt proud of him.
Nuraly himself noted that at the time of the incident, he did not think about any reward.
"Everything happened unexpectedly. At first, the child was floating on an inflatable mattress, then due to the wind, the mattress flipped over, and he ended up in the water. I immediately rushed to save him. I have five brothers and sisters, so at that moment I imagined my relatives in his place. I just wanted the child to stay alive," the teenager said.
For his courage and determination, Nuraly was awarded a wristwatch with the Ministry of Internal Affairs emblem. His mother received a letter of gratitude, and gifts were also given to the teenager's brothers and sisters.
Earlier, Kursiv reported that in the Abai region, judo coach Timur Rakhimzhanov saved a seven-year-old boy who was being carried away by the current in the Irtysh River. The man swam to the child and pulled him to shore. For his act, he was awarded a letter of gratitude from the Ministry of Emergency Situations.