A man fell into a river –

Konsta Kekki was surprised by the power of the flow at Mommolankoski. Photo: Pauliina Vilenius

Translation Vilja Vartia (original text Pauliina Vilenius)

Konsta Kekki from Huittinen felt moments of terror last Saturday at the old dam of Mommolankoski. Kekki was filming the flow of the river under him as the concrete construction underneath the dam crumbled under him.

–The current was incredibly strong, you could not understand it watching from the shore. I remember how I tried to grasp something with my hands, and I managed to hold onto a branch, but my hand slipped from it, the man recalled.

The current threw him around so much that he hit his hips on a stone. His wrist was also injured. Finally, Kekki managed to cling to a sturdy branch, with which he pushed himself to the shore with what little was left of his strength.

–I guess it was the innate fight-or-flight reaction that finally got me out of the water. I remember lying on the shore against a tree, unable to do anything else.

After saving himself, Kekki filmed a short video clip, which he later shared on Facebook in the Huittinen message board group. After that, his phone conked out.

–Maybe it's a slightly funny reaction to shoot a video right away, but I wanted to do it as a warning example, the man says.

There was no-one else at the old dam at the time of the incident. Since the phone had turned off, Kekki could do nothing but jump on his bicycle and pedal home to the center of Huittinen. From there, he called the rescue service and asked that a tape be strung on the dam to indicate that access to the area is prohibited.

Kekki wants to tell his story publicly, because the old dam has always been a popular place to spend time, especially among young people. Many people have admired the bubbles of Mommolankoski also this spring when the ice has left and raised the water level high.

LUE ALKUPERÄINEN TEKSTI TÄÄLTÄ: "Jos jonkun piti pudota, on hyvä, että se olin minä" – Konsta Kekki joutui Mommolankoskeen, kun vanhan padon betoni murtui