“Unfortunately, we do not know who this taxi driver is. All we know is that the taxi driver drove a Kia and that he spoke English.”
An act of courage and humanity lit up the darkness of a cold November night in Amsterdam. In the night hours of November 17 to 18, a man who had been lying in the icy water of the Amsterdam-Rhine Canal for almost 50 minutes was rescued in a joint effort by the police, an alert bystander and an unknown taxi driver.
The rescue operation began when a concerned citizen, alarmed by cries for help, called the police from the area of Roosevelt Boulevard South. This alert citizen had not hesitated to stop a passing taxi driver, with whom he drove to the origin of the screams.
Upon arrival, a quickly responding police officer, together with the reporter and the taxi driver, found the drowning person in the canal. The situation was critical, the man in the water was hypothermic and was fighting for his life.
In a heroic attempt to save the man, the police officer asked the taxi driver to support her. Thanks to this collaboration, they managed to pull the drowning man out of the water, thus preventing a tragedy.
However, the identity of the courageous taxi driver remains a mystery. The only known detail is that he drove a Kia and spoke English. The police call on this unknown hero to report, so that they can express their gratitude for his crucial role in this rescue effort.
