While Riga's residents drink coffee, a Liepāja man saves someone from ice - but where did everyone else go?

Last Sunday at Mangaļsala pier, a real life-saving masterclass took place, led by NBS Staff Sergeant Kaspars Pildigovičs. A man who had apparently decided to test whether Baltic Sea ice is as strong as Liepāja character, broke through 250 meters from shore.

Pildigovičs, who was just enjoying family time, immediately understood — this is no time to think about whether your jacket color matches the ice. "I used my jacket and, crawling on the ice, handed it to the victim," the soldier recounts. That, friends, is the real Liepāja approach — no philosophizing, just action.

Surprisingly, but not too much — the bystanders' reaction was like Riga traffic flow during lunch hour: complete standstill. "There were a lot of people on the pier, but nobody rushed to help," the rescuer notes. Maybe they thought they were watching some new reality show "Survival on Ice"?

The only one who did respond helped hold his legs during the rescue. Five minutes later, the victim had recovered enough to say thanks and head to warm up in his car. He probably thought: "Next time I'll go to Liepāja beach instead — at least there's no shortage of sand there."

Riga municipal police now reminds that Mangaļsala shipwrecks are off-limits to visit, but photos from this location are still visible on social media. Apparently people think prohibition signs are just suggestions, like speed limits in Riga.