“I jumped without thinking”: the heroic gesture of Loucia, 13, to save a little boy from drowning – LCI

While she left with her mother for shopping on Sunday, Loucia Pinto witnesses the fall of a child in the river Isle, in the Dordogne. Without hesitation, the teenager rushes to try and bring the four-year-old back to shore, despite a strong current and deep water.

“He was on the edge of the boat ramp, ready to jump into the water. We shouted ‘no, don’t jump.’ He looked at us and jumped into the water.”, Loucia says, reliving the scene. Thanks to her bravery, the young girl saved a life at the risk of her own. “It’s without thinking, it’s instinctive I think”, she analyzes with a rested head in front of the cameras of TF1, adding: “I lost my father a year and a half ago to cancer and I know that life is expensive.”

Despite the danger, no one was injured during the rescue. Once out of the water, the four-year-old boy was unharmed. “I’m proud, but I was very scared when I saw her jump because basically it should have been me, and she didn’t give me time to do anything. She didn’t give me time to do anything. jumped straight. After that, that’s all Loucia “, reacts the mother, Valérie Pinto, aware of her daughter’s courage.

The firefighters who arrived at the scene shortly after the rescue were also in admiration of the girl’s behavior. “What struck me the most in fact was [son] Olympian calm “, describes Staff Sergeant Julien Ehrismann, volunteer firefighter.

Later, Loucia would like to be a nurse and a firefighter. For the staff sergeant, she already has all the required qualities. “Determination, composure, putting her life on the line, I think she’s on the right track, yes”, he says with a smile. For his courage and bravery, Loucia will receive the medal of the city of Maussidan. It should also soon be decorated by state services.