• Sweden edition
National

Girl awakes 'unscathed' after ice fall drama

Published: 22 Jan 12 10:08 CET | Print version
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/38646/20120122/

A six-year-old girl who was rescued by her mother after becoming trapped under ice in a creek in southern Sweden last week has awoken after her extended ordeal apparently unhurt.

The girl awoke after four days in an induced coma at the intensive care ward at Kalmar hospital in southern Sweden on Saturday and is reported to have expressed a wish to go home.

"The crisis is over and we are very happy," the girl's father said according to the Kvällsposten daily.

The girl and her older brother were playing near the shoreline of a creek in Flygsfors near Orrefors in southern Sweden before venturing out on the ice when it suddenly gave way, sending both of them crashing into the icy water.

While the girl's brother managed to pull himself out of the water and make it back to shore, he was unable to help his sister and instead ran back to his house to alert his mother about the accident.

By the time the mother arrived, the 6-year-old girl had drifted under the ice about 20 metres away from the hole where she and her brother had fallen in.

However, the mother was able spot the girl through the clear ice, around three to four metres from shore.

Several passers-by were able to come to the aid of the girl, including attempts to resuscitate her.

The girl had another stroke of luck on the way to hospital when the ambulance in which she was being transported passed by another ambulance carrying an anaesthetist.

The girl was quickly put to sleep and her body temperature cooled in order to protect her organs. After four days, doctors at the hospital took the decision to take her off a respirator and wake her up.

The doctors now believe that despite having spent such a long period under the ice the girl has not sustained any serious injuries.

The six-year-old has now been moved from intensive care to a regular ward and is reported to have enjoyed ice cream in her hospital bed on Saturday.

"She was still in shock, but recognised us and said that she wanted to go home. It was one of the most wonderful things I have ever heard her say," her father told the newspaper.

Peter Vinthagen Simpson
news@thelocal.se
+46 8 656 6513

What do you think? Leave your comment below.

Your comments about this article:

The comments below have not been moderated in advance and are not produced by The Local unless clearly stated. Readers are responsible for the content of their own comments. Comments that breach our terms and conditions will be removed.

10:53 January 22, 2012 by Keith #5083
Wonderful news. Wonderful Mother. Fantastic :-)
12:04 January 22, 2012 by bloor west
Amazing. This story brought me to tears.
12:31 January 22, 2012 by Svensksmith
What a great turn out of events.
15:22 January 22, 2012 by gabeltoon
Great news .I'm glad she is ok. This brings back memories of my childhood when a friend fell through the ice on a pond.He was lucky that passersby were there to help.
17:20 January 22, 2012 by BillyB
That's pretty amazing
20:36 January 22, 2012 by dizzymoe33
What is also amazing is that they were able to put her in a temporary coma and lower her body heat to save her life. That is very interesting. I am happy she is recovering and has no physical damage from the accident.
03:13 January 23, 2012 by nar klockan klamtar
Some really good news for a change.
07:28 January 23, 2012 by occassional
Bless her.
08:38 January 23, 2012 by skogsbo
wonderful mother? That depends on how it transpired the kids were 20 metres out on very thin lake ice. If she was close enough to help, maybe she was close enough to prevent or supervise?

Lucky that the kid was still young, as the body grows out of its ability to completely shutdown if suddenly immersed in very cold water, an adult or teen would not have been so lucky.
10:07 January 23, 2012 by caradoc
So she gets ice cream eh?
ADD YOUR COMMENT   (YOU MUST LOG IN OR REGISTER TO MAKE A COMMENT)
Today's headlines
Unrest in Stockholm
Stockholm's not burning

Stockholm's not burning

With international media swooping on the Stockholm riots from every angle, The Local's Oliver Gee explains why Stockholm is not burning, and how the story has been blown out of proportion. READ () »

Unrest in Stockholm
Stockholm riots: causes and consequences

Stockholm riots: causes and consequences

After five nights of rioting throughout the outskirts of Stockholm, many in Sweden and elsewhere are trying to make sense of it all. The Local spoke to a mix of commentators and local politicians to get their views. READ () »

Swedish firms 'clueless' about foreign graduates

Swedish firms 'clueless' about foreign graduates

As white-collar union Saco slammed Sweden for not helping well-educated foreigners into the labour market, The Local spoke to researcher Josefin Edström about the disconnect between foreign professionals and Swedish employers. READ () »

Unrest in Stockholm
US and UK issue travel warnings for Sweden

US and UK issue travel warnings for Sweden

The UK Foreign Office has issued a travel warning for Sweden after arsonists tore through several Stockholm suburbs, while Americans have been warned to stay out of the affected areas by their embassy. READ () »

Unrest in Stockholm
Swedish riot police to call in reinforcements

Swedish riot police to call in reinforcements

With Swedish police set to call in reinforcements in an attempt to get the now five-day-old wave of arson and vandalism under control, Sweden's image abroad may have been tarnished. READ () »

Think You Know Sweden?
Quiz: 'A Swedish city with a pulse'

Quiz: 'A Swedish city with a pulse'

For this week's secret location picture gallery quiz, we head to a city that's among the top 20 in terms of population size. Can you guess which one it is in nine clues? READ () »

Princess Madeleine 'not nervous' about wedding

Princess Madeleine 'not nervous' about wedding

Sweden's Princess Madeleine is "less nervous than she thought" about her impending walk down the aisle at Stockholm's Storkyrkan church to wed US financier Chris O'Neill. READ () »

'Tired' Swedes have less sex than ever: study

'Tired' Swedes have less sex than ever: study

Swedes are having less sex than ever before, a new survey has revealed, and their libidos appear to have waned too, prompting researchers to warn that "desire disorders" may be keeping Swedes from getting intimate. READ () »

More National

 

RECEIVE OUR NEWSLETTER AND ALERTS
 

 

Highlights
DoToday
LIFESTYLE »
What's On:The Local's guide to upcoming attractions and events in Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö
www.finest.se
GALLERY »
People-watching May 20-23
Erik Bloom
LIFESTYLE »
Stockholm's ten best-kept secrets - revealed
Fredrik Sanberg/Scanpix (File)
OPINION »
'The future of freedom on the internet is at stake'
Peter Håkansson/Swedish Fashion Council
SOCIETY »
Fashion prize turns Rookies into players
La Neta
LIFESTYLE »
My Swedish Career: We talk to the founder of Stockholm's favourite Mexican restaurant chain - La Neta
Leif R Jansson/Scanpix
NATIONAL »
Riot police 'resorted to racial slurs' in Husby
Scanpix
SPORT »
Sweden win ice hockey world champs at home
Scanpix
SPORT »
Swedes sweep top French football awards
fastighetsbyrån.se
GALLERY »
Property of the Week: Check out this funky three-room apartment on the Stockholm island of Södermalm
Scanpix
GALLERY »
Sweden win Ice Hockey World Championships. See the celebrations in Stockholm
Scanpix
GALLERY »
Youths burn 100 cars in north Stockholm riots
Finest.se scanpix.se
GALLERY »
People-watching: Nightlife, Ice Hockey Gold celebrations, the royal family... You name it, this week's gallery has it
WikiCommons
BUSINESS & MONEY »
Solna voted best place to live in Sweden
Scanpix
TRAVEL »
Quiz - Think You Know Sweden? This week we head to one of Sweden's ten biggest towns. But which one?
Scanpix
LIFESTYLE »
Eurovision host: 'Not everyone has to like me'
Scanpix
LIFESTYLE »
Denmark wins Eurovision 2013 in Malmö
Paul Hansen/World Press Photo
SOCIETY »
Award-winning Swedish photographer cleared of manipulation
Scanpix
NATIONAL »
A Congolese-Swedish pastor explains the roots to recent cases of parents exorcising demons from their children in Sweden
File photo: AP
NATIONAL »
H&M backs Bangladesh building safety accord
Scanpix
GALLERY »
Eurovision: second semi-final entries
Screenshot: American Apparel
SOCIETY »
Swedes slam American Apparel over 'sexist' ads
Hasse Holmberg/Scanpix (File)
BUSINESS & MONEY »
Housing crunch forces more young Swedes to live with mum and dad
Asif Akbar/sxc.hu (File)
OPINION »
'Not all discrimination in Sweden is racism'
Lana Wimmer
GALLERY »
Hidden Stockholm Gems: Ulriksdal's Palace
Sex in Sweden: condoms optional - study
SOCIETY »
Sex in Sweden: condoms optional - study
AP (File)
POLITICS »
Russia 'lacks capacity' to attack Sweden: Reinfeldt
fastighetsbyrån.se
GALLERY »
Property of the Week: This week, we're looking inside a home from the 1700s just west of Stockholm. Complete with two cannons.
Scanpix (File)
OPINION »
JobTalk: Top ten tips for earning a higher salary in Sweden
Eddie Gee
LIFESTYLE »
Check out the back catalogue of all The Local's Swedes of the Week
Photo: The Local
SPONSORED ARTICLE
Stockholm International School - what’s in IT for students?

 

Latest news from The Local in Germany

More news from Germany at thelocal.de

Latest news from The Local in France

More news from France at thelocal.fr

Latest news from The Local in Norway

More news from Norway at thelocal.no

Latest news from The Local in Switzerland

More news from Switzerland at thelocal.ch

Search News


Register

Register now for:
> Free use of noticeboard
> Special discounts
> Weekly news roundup
> Unlimited use of discuss

REGISTER FOR FREE »


Blog Update: The Swedish Teacher

19 March 19:24

“Örngott”, “luttanpluttan” and “chokladglass” »

"Hej! How is your Swedish coming along? I have received many questions on the Facebook page and in my email lately and it seems like a good idea to post the answers here. Enjoy! Question 1 – “får inte” or “måste inte” Could you please clarify for me which is the most commonly used phrase in Swedish for..." READ »

Therapy in English
Expat counsellor & talk therapist offers counselling for stress, relationship issues, sexuality, culture adjustment & life coaching. Private & confidential. Stockholm or Skype. Contact me today! 08-559 22 636 or
CLICK HERE
Holiday Luxury Villa in Portugal
Casa Birgitta in Algarve, Portugal. Reduced price in best location. Private estate on white sand beach. All amenities included. Book here today! edward_george1@hotmail.com
The Local's new Marketplace
Find products and services that are specifically focused on English speakers living in Sweden!
FULL DETAILS
Counseling in English
Individuals & Couples - Stockholm Beth Rogerson PhD - Clinical, Marriage & Family Therapist
Click or call 08-5580 1266 now
Trade binary options
Create an account with Banc De Binary, the world’s most reputable binary options firm, and start cashing in today! You can start by practicing with our free $50,000 demo account.
www.bbinary.com