Lifeguard beaten for asking people to leave the water. "I'm still the one to blame"

The man adds: after what he experienced, he sincerely doesn't understand how to continue saving people if a simple remark can result in injuries, writes "Onliner".

Chronology of events

The reservoir on Savetskaya Street in Pruzhany is well-known not only to locals: the "Solstice" rock festival has been held here twice. The lake is artificial, dug in Soviet times. Swimming here is strictly allowed only in designated areas, which is indicated by information signs for vacationers. On-duty lifeguards monitor people's safety on the water. One of them is Viktor. Before retirement, the man was a career military officer, and during his well-deserved rest, he began to take shifts during the summer season.

— We are on duty in pairs every two days from 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM, — says the interlocutor. — The rescue post is located in the old building of a former pumping station, which in past years maintained the water level. Due to vegetation overgrowing the banks, most of the reservoir is closed for swimming. A special area is organized for recreation. We patrol the entire reservoir, but the main task is to watch over vacationers in the permitted swimming area.

That day was abnormally hot — nearly forty degrees Celsius. The pumping station building, where the lifeguards were, is located on the opposite side of the equipped beach.

— It was around two in the afternoon, about ten people, maybe a bit more, were swimming in the water, — Viktor recalls. — I was on the beach territory to react quickly in case of an emergency. My partner had briefly stepped away towards the park to the public restroom. My life vest was lying next to me on a folding chair: in dense synthetics, you simply suffocate in such heat.

According to Viktor, at a certain point, he noticed two boys who were regulars at the beach. After arguing about something with their peers, they went into an area where entering the water is forbidden, and both got into the water.

— I took my badge and headed towards these boys. They know me well, and I know them: I've introduced myself to them many times before, — Viktor recalls. — I just wanted to escort the children away: there are old communications, pipes, old concrete slabs at the bottom there — in short, a dangerous area. I managed to walk about a third of the way when a car pulled up to the shore. Two young men got out of the car: one immediately undressed and went into the water, the other stayed on land.

According to the interlocutor, upon approaching the vacationers, he immediately turned on his mobile camera, capturing both the warning sign about the swimming ban. Video recording is a standard measure in a lifeguard's work when a violation needs to be documented, the interlocutor explains.

— The signs were standing on both sides of those who were swimming; it was impossible not to notice them, — the man claims. — I approached the water, introduced myself, and asked the schoolboy along with the guy from the car (let's call him Pavel. — Ed. Onlíner) to come out onto the shore. In response, Pavel started asking something again. I repeated the demand and warned: otherwise, explanations would have to be given elsewhere (referring to the police). Everything is clearly recorded on the video: both my words and his.

Pavel's friend, who was standing on the grass, told him: "Let's go, swimming is forbidden here." He ignored these words, immediately headed towards me and attacked: he started twisting my arms, tearing my clothes, trying to knock the mobile phone out of my hand. I lost my balance and fell into the water right with the phone in my hands…

The scuffle continued in the water. According to Viktor, the guy tried to push him further from the shore, but he resisted. After some time, the man got out onto land and tried to turn on his phone.

— I wanted to call the police, but then a woman appeared from somewhere and started loudly indignant, asking where and why I was calling. At that moment, I was already dialing 102…

From the inspection materials, which the police would later conduct, it became known: in the car that had driven past the forbidden signs, there was a family — Pavel, his parents, and a friend. While the young men went to the lake, the father and mother remained in the car. The woman who appeared on the shore was Pavel's mother. The police report stated that she "tried to interfere with the video recording, covered the smartphone lens and grabbed the rescuer's clothing and hands, but did not inflict blows."

Viktor himself assures: the mother behaved no less aggressively than her son, and at that moment he was not recording anything.

— Line 102 was busy. The woman repeatedly said in a raised voice that it was her son and there was no need to call anyone, while trying to snatch the phone. I pressed record again, intending to film the car's license plates and the woman's actions to make it easier to find them later. She continued to scratch, hit wherever she could, clung to my clothes, and shouted at the guys to leave. The driver indeed started the car and left, but they all stayed.

— What was Pavel's friend doing at this time?

— First, he stood on the shore, and after the scuffle, he started persuading him to leave. At some point, he succeeded — they both walked away. But the woman continued to confront me, — says Viktor.

Further, according to the man, he managed to break free, and the woman, along with the guys, walked towards where the car had previously driven off. Viktor then called the police again.

Vacationers: "Didn't know he was a lifeguard"

It was not possible to contact the other side of the conflict, but their position is reflected in the documents Viktor provided to journalists. It states: upon arriving at the reservoir, Pavel immediately went swimming. At the same time, another guy was swimming there, and another was fishing nearby.

According to the guy, he did not notice any forbidden signs either at the entrance or by the water when he went swimming. Surfacing from the water, he heard an unknown man shout something at him from the shore. Asking again, he understood: the man was asking him to get out of the water and was filming him on a mobile phone. Pavel noted that he was outraged by the "rude tone of conversation from the stranger," as well as the threat "to continue the conversation elsewhere."

Coming ashore, the guy tried to take the phone and delete the recording, so he approached Viktor and tried to grab his arm, but the lifeguard moved it away. According to Pavel's version, he managed to grab Viktor's arm, and as he struggled, he lost his balance and fell into the water. The guy claims that he repeatedly tried to help — grabbing the lifeguard by his clothes, but he kept falling back.

Later, Pavel's mother approached the scene of the conflict. The documents state that the woman tried to interfere with the filming: she covered the lens, grabbed the man's hands and clothes, but "did not hit him." It was at this moment, according to the other side, that injuries could have been sustained "when grabbing his arm and clothes."

The documents also state that Pavel did not know he was being addressed by a lifeguard: the man who approached was "in ordinary clothes, without any distinguishing marks," and he did not hear him introduce himself. The guy believes he was being filmed "to later post online" without consent.

"Did not clearly outline his demands to those around him"

A week after the incident, Viktor underwent a forensic medical examination, although he is convinced that he could have been sent for it earlier.

The conclusion recorded numerous injuries: abrasions in the left postauricular region, injuries to the left shoulder joint extending to the axillary region, injuries in the right clavicular region and on the left forearm; bruises on the anterior surface of the right chest and on its right side. The examination classified these injuries as "inflicted by blunt hard objects"; according to the conclusion, they could have formed "as a result of no less than six traumatic actions and belong to bodily injuries that did not cause short-term health impairment or minor persistent loss of work capacity."

This means the lifeguard received at least six blows. Following the victim's statement, the police initiated an investigation.

In early July, Viktor received an official response: the administrative case was closed, as the attackers' actions showed signs of a criminal offense — under Part 1 of Article 339 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus ("Hooliganism").

Viktor agreed with this decision, but when the Investigative Committee rejected the initiation of a criminal case in early August and reclassified the actions of the son and mother as administrative offenses, the man appealed it. Pavel was charged under Part 1 of Article 10.1 of the Administrative Code of the Republic of Belarus — "Intentional infliction of bodily harm." The guy's mother, however, was charged under two articles of the Administrative Code — Part 1 of Article 10.1 and Article 19.1 ("Petty Hooliganism").

This is how the decision is explained in the documents: "The occurrence of the said conflict was facilitated by the incorrect actions of [lifeguard's data], who was working in violation of uniform regulations, and the offenders could not identify him as a rescuer performing his official duties, and also did not clearly outline his demands and actions to those around him <…>, who genuinely mistook the [lifeguard's data]'s actions for unlawful."

At the end of August, Viktor received another notification — this time from the Internal Affairs Directorate of the Brest Regional Executive Committee. It stated: the administrative proceedings against Pavel were again terminated, and his mother was brought to justice under Article 19.1 of the Administrative Code (petty hooliganism). Now, the man admits, he does not know the status of his case: the last time it was sent from the court to the Internal Affairs Directorate to rectify shortcomings.

"I don't understand how to save people now"

Viktor decided to publicize the story because he sincerely doesn't understand why he ended up "being to blame for everything."

His job description, which he provided to journalists, states: "a lifeguard is responsible for the safety of vacationing citizens" and is also obliged "to explain to citizens the rules of safe behavior to prevent accidents on the water."

Viktor has been on duty by the water for more than one season and admits that he has seen all sorts of things.

— Sometimes, vacationers react to remarks extremely aggressively: they threaten "a meeting in a dark alley," insult. There are no surveillance cameras at the reservoir. But when you pull out your phone and start recording in such moments, the absolute majority immediately calms down and starts behaving more or less adequately.

Previously, people have drowned in this lake — three people, all intoxicated. Naturally, you try to warn about the danger if someone goes into the water in an unauthorized place. There's dense vegetation at the bottom, old pipes; anything can happen even to a sober person.

And what I don't understand is: according to the instructions, we are obliged to maintain order, but what real authority do we, lifeguards, have? — Viktor asks. — As a result, I made a remark — and I was attacked. So, after this, should I approach anyone and warn them about anything? At the same time, if something happens to a person, I will be to blame — because I didn't follow the instruction.

— After this incident, will you return to the station next season?

— I don't know, my wife is dissuading me. Maybe time will pass and something will change. I'm not demanding some strict punishment. When the police arrived after the call and asked how I wanted them to be held accountable, I replied: "No need to hold them accountable. Just talk to them, explain, so that people understand: a lifeguard makes remarks for their own good, trying to prevent trouble." So that vacationers bear at least some responsibility for themselves. The same children often come to swim without adults. You start to find out what's wrong — some immediately threaten: "My dad is so-and-so!" Sometimes they break beach equipment — then we send the video to the police, and the parents compensate for the damage.

Almost three months have passed since the incident, but the injuries he sustained still sometimes bother the man.

— Now I'm undergoing procedures related to pain in my arm. And if trouble had happened at that moment, I wouldn't have been able to fully perform my official duties to prevent it. Yet, the documents state that the injuries did not even cause short-term health impairment or loss of work capacity, — the interlocutor shrugs. — It turns out, if I had been on shift wearing a vest, they wouldn't have attacked me, but since I wasn't wearing one — then it's okay? Does it mean only the vest defines my status? But during the scuffle, I was holding my badge — it's just that no one wanted to pay attention to it.

— So, you are confident that the presence of a uniform would have changed nothing?

— A uniform is important, I don't dispute that. Even if they thought a stranger was filming them and it caused dissatisfaction, they could have called the police, not attacked with fists. As a result, instead of protection and support, I received a conclusion that, roughly speaking, I was to blame for everything myself.

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