When Linnea, 7, was swimming with her friends in the family pool in Haninge, everything went very quickly. Suddenly her friend was in the water and panicked.
– She splashed her arms and wanted help, says Linnea Edvinsson Lokén.
When the friend was about to jump from the edge of the pool, she lost her swim puffs and ended up under the water. Linnea, who has just learned to swim, was already in the water and acted lightning fast.
– I thought I wanted to save her. I was already in the water so I swam there and pulled her to the edge, she says.
Her father and the toddlers came to the edge of the pool.
– Dad said good job and “high five”.
Win prize
At swimming school, Linnea has learned what to do when someone ends up in the water. Now she is being honored by the Swedish Lifeguard Society with the “Lifeguard gold” award. The award goes to heroes who have shown courage and civil courage when it really matters.
“Thanks to Linnéa’s brave and quick-thinking actions, everything went well, and a serious accident could be avoided,” writes the Swedish Lifesaving Society on its website.
What did the friends say when they saw the prize?
– They said “wow”, she says.