Bulgarian police officer rescues teen from Maritsa River
Junior police inspector Trendafil Trifonov saved a 14‑year‑old boy, Stoyan Iliev, from drowning in the swift currents of the Maritsa River near the village of Ognyanovo, Pazardzhik region. The incident occurred on a Wednesday while the boy was playing beside the river; the strong flow pulled him under and his friends could not assist. Trifonov jumped in, managing the risk of water over two metres deep, and brought the child to safety.
The rescued boy thanked the officer, saying “Thank you very much for pulling me out,” and his parents expressed lifelong gratitude, calling the officer a hero. Trifonov, a 29‑year veteran of the regional police department, noted it was the first time he had had to rescue someone from drowning and declined to view himself as a hero, emphasizing the urgency of the moment.