When a homeless man saved a drowning boy from the river, the boy’s mother began screaming at him rather than expressing gratitude
The November wind brought a damp, piercing cold from the river and sliced through the flesh. There was a five-year-old youngster playing between the peeling cars. His mother laughed at her friend’s jokes while standing a short distance away and clutching her phone to her ear.
While his mother was preoccupied, the youngster approached the drop-off by the river. The water was murky and turbulent that day because the current was stronger due to recent rainfall. The boy’s thick jacket instantly pulled him down as he fell screaming into the river after taking one false step.
Nothing caught the mother’s attention. She continued to converse on the phone, looking around absently only once or twice.
At that moment, a man who was typically met with only contempt by the locals—a scrawny, skinny man whom everyone called “Erlich”—came into view across the river. A man without a home who resided in a nearby abandoned house.
When he heard the child’s cries, he immediately dove into the freezing water while wearing filthy clothes. He continued until he got to the boy and took hold of his collar.
The boy was pale, shaking, and crying. Erlich wrapped him in his ripped cloak and dragged him to the shore.
The mother finally saw them when he took the boy back inside and yelled:
— Have you contacted my son? You’re a jerk!
He was drowning.
— He drowned better than got into your dirty hands!
Then Erlich took a rather surprising but reasonable action.
Unexpectedly, he turned abruptly and gave the boy another hug to himself.
— Hello! The woman yelled, “Bring him back!” but dared not get near.
Erlich strolled calmly away, knocked on the door of an old neighbor who was a sweet and considerate woman.
Breathless, he pleaded, “Help the boy.” – Make a police call. You witnessed his mother almost killing him.
The neighbor called right away. The mother, who was yelling obscenities, was taken away by the police.
The mother’s parental rights were revoked following an investigation. After a brief stay with the neighbor, the boy was put with a foster family.
