10-Year-Old Armen Who Saved Drowning Friends Has Suffered from Stress After the Incident

Amen, a 10-year-old boy from the Armavir region, who saved a drowning child in the Talin canal and was awarded for his heroism today, has been under stress for an extended period after the incident, his mother Agapi told "Haykakan Zhamanak" in an interview.

"For a long time, the child could not forget what had happened. Even at night, he would remember it—constantly replaying in his mind the moment when the drowning boy was struggling in the water, sinking to the bottom and then resurfacing several times," said Agapi.

It is important to note that the incident occurred in the summer of 2019, but due to the pandemic and then the war, the boy's award was postponed. Today, the governor of Armavir presented Armen with a bravery medal and diploma.

"I wasn't home; I was working as it was harvest time. I came back and saw everyone gathered near our irrigation canal. Armen ran towards me, but he was so scared that he couldn't even speak," his mother recalled.

According to Agapi, two of the boy's friends were in the water. Armen quickly assessed the situation, found a stone and some thread, tied the stone to the thread, and threw it into the water to help his friends. "One boy, who was closer to the shore, was able to grab the thread and get out quickly. He tried to help the other boy the same way, but he had moved further away and was swept by the wave to the other side of the canal," she explained.

Armen yelled so loudly that a nearby worker heard him and came to help. The rescuer jumped into the canal and swam to the drowning child, bringing him to safety.

Agapi stated that both children who ended up in the canal are doing well and have not experienced any further health issues. The child who ended up on the other shore and was rescued later, was visiting his grandmother in the village of Argina during the summer vacation.