Indian awarded honorary Romanian citizenship for saving 5-year-old girl who fell into icy lake

3 min readNew DelhiJun 13, 2026 04:55 PM IST

The ceremony was attended by India’s Ambassador to Romania, Dr Manoj Kumar Mohapatra, who praised Kumar’s selfless actions.

Indians are often recognised for stepping up when others are in need, and one such act of courage by an Indian worker in Romania has earned him a rare honour. Vipin Kumar, who works in construction in Romania, has been granted honorary citizenship by the city of Craiova after rescuing a five-year-old girl from an icy lake earlier this year.

The incident occurred in January at Nicolae Romanescu Park in Craiova. The young girl had fallen through a thin layer of ice covering the lake and was struggling in the freezing water. Without hesitation, Kumar jumped in to help. For nearly 30 minutes, he kept the child above the water until emergency responders reached the scene.

His bravery drew widespread appreciation and eventually led the Craiova municipality to confer upon him the title of honorary citizen. The ceremony was attended by India’s Ambassador to Romania, Dr Manoj Kumar Mohapatra, who praised Kumar’s selfless actions.

Watch the video:

Indian worker Vipin Kumar has been awarded honorary citizenship by the city of Craiova, Romania, after he jumped into an icy lake and saved the life of a 5-year-old girl. 🇮🇳🇷🇴

For nearly 30 minutes, he held the child above freezing water until rescuers arrived.

This is the… pic.twitter.com/mBN4m0kI6c

— India First Post (@ifpost47) June 12, 2026

Speaking at the event, Mohapatra said Kumar’s courage reflected the values of compassion, service and humanity. He also noted that the rescue embodied the spirit of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam—’The World is One Family’.

In a video from the ceremony, the ambassador can be heard telling the audience, “What Mr Vipin Kumar did, that is the symbol of India.”

The clip has since gained traction on social media, where many users applauded Kumar’s heroism. “A real Hero does what needs to be done….. irrespective of the consequences. Proud of Mr Vipin Kumar for saving the child’s life,” one user wrote.

Another commented, “This is the mark of someone who gives ABHAYA. One who gives confidence and safety to others. Such people are life savers.” A third user added, “Held a 5-year-old above freezing water for 30 minutes. didn’t hesitate, didn’t step back. that’s who gets honorary citizenship.”