On September 16, 1976, Shavarsh Karapetian, a world-renowned finswimming champion, was completing an exhausting 21-kilometer training session in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, when a sudden cry for help caught his attention
On September 16, 1976, Shavarsh Karapetian, a world champion finswimmer, was wrapping up a punishing 21-kilometer training session in Yerevan, Armenia, when he heard a terrifying commotion.
A trolleybus had careened off a dam and plunged into Lake Yerevan. At just 23, Karapetian raced to the scene, stripped down, and dove into the murky water to save as many people as he could.
Despite near-zero visibility underwater, he swam five kilometers to the sunken trolleybus and discovered that all the windows were sealed shut.
Summoning incredible strength, he shattered the rear window, severely injuring his legs in the process.
Over the next 20 minutes, he managed to pull 37 passengers to safety—directly saving 20, while nine others escaped through the opening he created.
Karapetian’s bravery came at a steep personal price.
He developed pneumonia and sepsis, resulting in permanent lung damage and a 45-day hospital stay, which ended his competitive swimming career.
Yet even in pain, he pushed himself to set his eleventh world record at his final competition.
His heroism didn’t end there: nine years later, he again risked his life to aid victims of a fire at the nearby Karen Demirchyan Sports and Concert Complex, sustaining serious injuries that required hospitalization.
Yet even in pain, he pushed himself to set his eleventh world record at his final competition.
His heroism didn’t end there: nine years later, he again risked his life to aid victims of a fire at the nearby Karen Demirchyan Sports and Concert Complex, sustaining serious injuries that required hospitalization.
