In January, an Indian-origin construction worker became a hero in Romania when he risked his life to save a five-year-old girl who fell into the ice of a frozen lake. This act earned him the title of Honorary Citizen of Craiova.Vipan Kumar, 47, jumped into the freezing lake in Craiova, Romania, after seeing his child struggling in the water.Recalling the dramatic rescue, Kumar told Digi24 TV: “I was walking with a friend. I saw the little girl in the water and I immediately jumped in. The water was cold; everything happened very fast.”The Indian worker said there was little time to think before taking action.“I just wanted to get her out of the water, that’s all I thought about. This little girl is very brave,” Kumar said.Pictures of the rescue went viral on social media. Video shows Kumar riding a sled across the ice toward the trapped children before the ice collapses beneath his feet. He managed to grab the girl’s arm and lift her to the icy water until emergency personnel arrived.Both Kumar and the child were rescued from the lake and taken to hospital suffering from hypothermic shock. Their condition is stable.The incident occurred at a city park where the girl was spending time with her parents. At one point, she jumped from her sled and ran onto a frozen lake. The ice cracked beneath her feet and she fell into the water.Her father immediately entered the lake to try to save her, but became trapped in the broken ice. As the situation developed, emergency services were alerted by people watching.Craiova Mayor Lia Orguta Vasilescu later announced that Kumar would be made an honorary citizen of the city in recognition of his actions.“I decided to recommend that he receive the title of honorary citizen. The local council of Craiova will formally confer this title, which has certain advantages.”“We hope his selfless and humane gesture inspires others,” the mayor told HotNews.
Mayor Vasilescu also shared details about Kumar’s background in a Facebook post. She said the Indian national arrived in Romania in June 2025 and had recently started working for a construction company in the Marumare commune in Dorzh county.“He is an Indian citizen. Vipan Kumar is 47 years old and has been in Romania since June. This month he became an employee of a company in Marumare commune, Dorzh County, as an unskilled worker in the construction field and will receive a residence permit.” Lia Olguta Vasilescu wrote at the time.Kumar’s actions were also praised by his employers. The boss of the company where he works is considering rewarding him with a trip to India so that he can be reunited with his family. Kumar has an eight-year-old daughter who came to Romania in search of work and became a construction worker.His quick thinking and courage transformed him from a migrant worker far from home into one of Craiova’s most famous residents.
