Andrzej was rescued, but now grieves for his drowned friend

Polish Andrzej (30) has been waiting all night at the Surfvijver in Waalwijk. He was rescued from the water on Tuesday evening, but his friend with whom he had gone out on the water was not found. See you Wednesday morning. When officers tell Andrzej the news of the discovery of a body around noon, he bursts into tears.

Just before that, he told how grateful he is to the woman who got him out of the water. “She saved my life. I thank her with all my heart,” he said as he followed the search on the water with a friend and another friend.

After the news about the discovery of the body in the puddle, Andrzej understandably doesn’t want to say much more. It’s all getting too much for him. Mayor Ausems van Waalwijk, who is also at the lake, will talk to him. Among other things, she asks how they can reach his friend’s parents.

In the meantime, part of the lake is being cordoned off by the police with black screens. Defeated, Andrzej sits on a bench by the water’s edge.

Got in trouble
On Tuesday evening he and his friend went out on the water with an air mattress. They ran into trouble around 9 a.m. and emergency services were alerted. Andrzej was rescued by bystanders. The emergency services searched for his friend until dark. This without result.

The search resumed Wednesday morning. The police no longer spoke of a rescue, but of a salvage operation.

ALSO READ: Dead swimmer found during search in Waalwijk surf pond

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