1/2In 1976, Shavarsh Karapetyan, an Armenian Olympic swimmer, had just completed a 12-mile run with his brother when they saw a trolley bus crash into a dam reservoir.
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For years, his story wasn't known, until an article about the event identified him by name in 1982. In 1985, he happened to pass by a burning building and rushed inside, again saving people trapped inside one at a time until he collapsed. He was again hospitalized with severe burns and lung damage.
He's still kicking it at 66. Just an awesome person I learned about today and thought I'd share.”@MarkHoltom thank you for sharing this. What an exceptional human.
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In 1976, Shavarsh Karapetyan, an Armenian Olympic swimmer, had just completed a 12-mile run with his brother when they saw a trolley bus crash into a dam reservoir. The trolley bus sank 80 feet offshore at a depth of 33 feet.
Shavarsh immediately dove in and swam to the bus and despite zero visibility, managed to kick in the back window, injuring himself in the process. He proceeded to save twenty people trapped in the bus, one at a time. Making forty dives in 20 minutes.
The combined effect of the cold water and his injuries from breaking the glass window led to his hospitalization for 45 days after the incident, during which time he developed pneumonia, sepsis, and lung damage which ended his athletic career.@MarkHoltom I like that you excluded a couple additional surprising facts as an exercise for the reader.
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Jesus. AFTER a 12 mile run.
Breaking glass underwater is not easy either, he probably cut his foot something awful.
@Phosphenes @noodlemaz @MarkHoltom
He'd just completed a 12 mile *swim*, and was running home...!
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@MarkHoltom I like that you excluded a couple additional surprising facts as an exercise for the reader.
@com @MarkHoltom
TIL I don't want to get on a bus anywhere near this dude. -
Reading these posts made me ask "Is this guy from Krypton?"
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2/2
For years, his story wasn't known, until an article about the event identified him by name in 1982. In 1985, he happened to pass by a burning building and rushed inside, again saving people trapped inside one at a time until he collapsed. He was again hospitalized with severe burns and lung damage.
He's still kicking it at 66. Just an awesome person I learned about today and thought I'd share.”@MarkHoltom What a great guy. I hope never to be anywhere near him lol
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1/2
In 1976, Shavarsh Karapetyan, an Armenian Olympic swimmer, had just completed a 12-mile run with his brother when they saw a trolley bus crash into a dam reservoir. The trolley bus sank 80 feet offshore at a depth of 33 feet.
Shavarsh immediately dove in and swam to the bus and despite zero visibility, managed to kick in the back window, injuring himself in the process. He proceeded to save twenty people trapped in the bus, one at a time. Making forty dives in 20 minutes.
The combined effect of the cold water and his injuries from breaking the glass window led to his hospitalization for 45 days after the incident, during which time he developed pneumonia, sepsis, and lung damage which ended his athletic career.@MarkHoltom
What an act of courage, what a hero -
2/2
For years, his story wasn't known, until an article about the event identified him by name in 1982. In 1985, he happened to pass by a burning building and rushed inside, again saving people trapped inside one at a time until he collapsed. He was again hospitalized with severe burns and lung damage.
He's still kicking it at 66. Just an awesome person I learned about today and thought I'd share.”@MarkHoltom and an astroid named after him. Looks to be a pretty stable one though so unlikely his karma could bite us in that way.
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2/2
For years, his story wasn't known, until an article about the event identified him by name in 1982. In 1985, he happened to pass by a burning building and rushed inside, again saving people trapped inside one at a time until he collapsed. He was again hospitalized with severe burns and lung damage.
He's still kicking it at 66. Just an awesome person I learned about today and thought I'd share.”@MarkHoltom mad respect.
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2/2
For years, his story wasn't known, until an article about the event identified him by name in 1982. In 1985, he happened to pass by a burning building and rushed inside, again saving people trapped inside one at a time until he collapsed. He was again hospitalized with severe burns and lung damage.
He's still kicking it at 66. Just an awesome person I learned about today and thought I'd share.”@MarkHoltom Note: this text is copied and pasted from similar picspam/viral repost accounts. Some credit it to "Sara Wiley", but with no links to an original post. See e. g.:
- https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1242582444654682&id=100067088146868
- https://www.threads.com/@shady_et/post/DGxWlSRNGwi/in-1976-shavarsh-karapetyan-an-armenian-olympic-swimmer-had-just-completed-a-12m?hl=enThe first post actually links to an actual article with sources and more details: https://allthatsinteresting.com/shavarsh-karapetyan
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@com @MarkHoltom
TIL I don't want to get on a bus anywhere near this dude.@silvermoon82 @com @MarkHoltom Well, definitely a higher survival rate for folks who ride with him.
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2/2
For years, his story wasn't known, until an article about the event identified him by name in 1982. In 1985, he happened to pass by a burning building and rushed inside, again saving people trapped inside one at a time until he collapsed. He was again hospitalized with severe burns and lung damage.
He's still kicking it at 66. Just an awesome person I learned about today and thought I'd share.” -
2/2
For years, his story wasn't known, until an article about the event identified him by name in 1982. In 1985, he happened to pass by a burning building and rushed inside, again saving people trapped inside one at a time until he collapsed. He was again hospitalized with severe burns and lung damage.
He's still kicking it at 66. Just an awesome person I learned about today and thought I'd share.”@MarkHoltom The term "hero" is thrown around too much. This is what real heroism looks like. True, mindful, self-sacrifice in the service of others.
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2/2
For years, his story wasn't known, until an article about the event identified him by name in 1982. In 1985, he happened to pass by a burning building and rushed inside, again saving people trapped inside one at a time until he collapsed. He was again hospitalized with severe burns and lung damage.
He's still kicking it at 66. Just an awesome person I learned about today and thought I'd share.”Somebody give that man a cape.
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@MarkHoltom Note: this text is copied and pasted from similar picspam/viral repost accounts. Some credit it to "Sara Wiley", but with no links to an original post. See e. g.:
- https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1242582444654682&id=100067088146868
- https://www.threads.com/@shady_et/post/DGxWlSRNGwi/in-1976-shavarsh-karapetyan-an-armenian-olympic-swimmer-had-just-completed-a-12m?hl=enThe first post actually links to an actual article with sources and more details: https://allthatsinteresting.com/shavarsh-karapetyan
@nev Wikipedia is linked, and the details do not substantially vary.
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1/2
In 1976, Shavarsh Karapetyan, an Armenian Olympic swimmer, had just completed a 12-mile run with his brother when they saw a trolley bus crash into a dam reservoir. The trolley bus sank 80 feet offshore at a depth of 33 feet.
Shavarsh immediately dove in and swam to the bus and despite zero visibility, managed to kick in the back window, injuring himself in the process. He proceeded to save twenty people trapped in the bus, one at a time. Making forty dives in 20 minutes.
The combined effect of the cold water and his injuries from breaking the glass window led to his hospitalization for 45 days after the incident, during which time he developed pneumonia, sepsis, and lung damage which ended his athletic career.@MarkHoltom This is a hero!
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Jesus. AFTER a 12 mile run.
Breaking glass underwater is not easy either, he probably cut his foot something awful.
@Phosphenes @noodlemaz @MarkHoltom
Absolutely, but at that time in the USSR the bus windows would have been low quality sheet glass, not the layered and often curved stuff you find on today's cars and buses. Today he wouldn't have stood a chance breaking a window under water without tools.But anyway, what a feat!
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