A Belarusian Soccer Player Recounted How He Saved A Drowning Woman
- 11.09.2026, 14:33
Kirill Nekhin jumped into the water without hesitation.
Kirill Nekhin, who plays for the second-division club “Agro-Pelishche,” saved a drowning man this summer. Kirill was relaxing on the beach in Brest when the incident occurred.
Without hesitation, the young man jumped into the water to save the man. In an interview with Betnews about the circumstances of the incident.
“We got together as a group at night at Krasny Dvor (a beach in Brest). There were about 15 of us. As morning approached, some friends and I decided to sit on the lounge chairs near the shore. There, we met another group who were relaxing nearby. We were sitting there, having a great conversation—everything was fine. Then a woman from that other group decided to go for a swim in the lake. She swam and swam and didn’t even realize she’d drifted about 50 meters from the shore… And I realized right away that she wouldn’t be able to get out of there on her own: she was starting to struggle—her head was going under and coming back up. I had no choice but to swim quickly and rescue her. I never thought I’d find myself in a situation like that,” — says Kirill.
Kirill isn’t just a soccer player; he’s also a physical education teacher at a school. He learned to swim in school, and they taught swimming at the university in the physical education department.
He says that at first it wasn’t him who swam over, but his friend Igor, who was the first to see what was happening.
“He’s so skinny, and it was hard for him. I swam over right after him. I told Igor, ‘Swim to shore; I’ll manage on my own,’” the young man noted.
Igor notes that his relatives didn’t expect such a selfless act from him, but he doesn’t consider himself a hero.
His team, “Agro-Pelishche,” plays in Kaments—in the second division of the Belarusian championship. They’ve now advanced to the second stage and are trying to compete for promotion.
“People from Kamenets come [to the games], and people come from Brest. Plus the players’ families. If we play on an artificial turf field, an average of 50 people show up. If we’re on a natural field—about 120 people,” he says.
His main job is as a physical education teacher at a school.
“There’s no bullying. My classes are disciplined. The kids know what I expect from them, and they do it. Everyone enjoys it. Not everyone knows that I played for “Rukh” and was captain of the “Dynamo” Brest reserve team. But there are also those who do know and are interested in FC “Agro-Pelishche.” They ask for advice. For those who know, it’s probably cool that I’m a soccer player,” Kirill noted.
— What did the students say when they found out about your heroic act?
— They said, “Kirill Dmitrievich, you’re certainly a hero.” I’m flattered.