A YU grad student is hailed as a hero after jumping into frigid water to aid a woman and her dog near Aspen, Colorado. Sandy Krohn, 27, a student at Yeshiva University, was hiking with his friends mother, Nancy Baumann, her sister-in-law Heidi Baumann and their three dogs during a family outing.
Heidi Baumann’s black Labrador, Glover, went into a small stream and started struggling against the 3 feet current. When his owner went to check on him, she slipped in and both got sucked into an underground culvert that was flowing with icy water. “I really thought I was going to drown, and it was pitch-black in there,” said Heidi Baumann, 50. She somehow latched onto a wall about 200 feet in.
Nancy Baumann, 51, asked Krohn to help. He jumped into the water and swam to Heidi Baumann and then called for Glover. The pooch managed to get back to them and all three waited for rescuers inside the pipe. “[Krohn] said, ‘I can’t let you drown,'” Heidi Baumann recalled. “He stayed with me the whole time. He just held my hand and kept me very calm. He’s an amazing person.”
After more than 30 minutes in 3 feet of cold water, volunteer firefighters hauled them out using ropes. They were treated for hypothermia at a local hospital and released. “I can’t believe I survived,” Heidi Baumann said.
A modest Krohn asked not to be interviewed.
(Source: Major Media Reports)
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12 Responses
Ain safek she hu tzaddik gamoor
Two interesting points:
(1) this fellow didn’t just jump in the water, it seems that he entered into a dark drain pipe filled with water, which makes his effort (thank G-d successful) all the more heroic.
(2) on this site a day or two ago someone mentioned the hypothetical example of a man who refuses to save a drowning woman as a chosid shoteh – so, it’s nice to see we still have our common sense – and it is inspiring to see such courage and selflessness on the part of this student
It would see that my previous post was ruled too strong for this site. I can appreciate that. So I will re-word and re-organize my thoughts.
The report of this “Kiddush HaShem” — a very widely misused term these days — may be a case of “yatzah s’charo b’hefseido.” Some of the facts could be very misleading and at times do not even place the hero in a very good light (he had to be asked to help and his holding her hand did not seem to be to save her life, but to comfort her). His heroic deed would have been the same without the inclusion of those details. Whether it is a question of lashon ha’ra or of misleading the public, they should not have been included in the report. Not all that is thought must be said, and not all that is said must be written.
I think that comfort in such a case is just as ncessay for survival. In any case, I think that most Rabbonim would refuse to consider this after the fact (and probably even before). He did a very good thing. There is no more to say on the subject. Why bring up something like that? He saved her life, and quite possibly holding her hand helped keep her spirits up enough to remain alive until help came. It might even have kept her from slipping and falling down. Forgive me, but I feel that your statement is small-minded, in my opinion.
To Reb Motcha and zionflag:
I assume you are referring to my post.
1. I did not say what he should or should not have done. I did not say what should or should not be considered in a p’sak “after the fact etc.).
2. I DID say it is misleading and can (and therefore probably will) be misunderstood, misinterpreted, and misapplied.
3. “YU Grad Student Saves Life and Makes Great Kiddush HaShem” would have been quite enough.
4. “All three waited . . . ” Equating the rescue of “the pooch” and his owner as well as applying human behavior to animals would seem inappropriate on “Yeshiva World News.
5. A 27 year old is not a child, and indeed Chazal require us to teach our children to swim.
6. BTW — It is arguable that two women and one man alone on a hike constitutes an issur of yichud. Another reason why the details did not have to be revealed.
7. If most Rabbonim would be in agreement to “refuse to consider this . . . ” that should tell us something — either about the true p’sak or about your opinion of “most Rabbonim” or both.
I do not agree with you BTW. It may very well be equal to saving her life. If so, “most Rabbonim” would most definitely consider this. Nonetheless, it did not have to be included.
How are we to ensure the continuity of Torah if not by fulfilling “sh’al avicha, v’yagedcha, zikainecha, v’yomru lach?” Was Torah replanted on the shores of America just so we could have it enter the free market of ideas? Do we shop for a p’sak?
4. It is not clear that the woman didn’t know how to swim, nor is it true that knowing how to swim will save a person from all water situations.
Nevertheless, I believe your comment is a Halachah, although I can’t place a reference right now.
shazam (8): The source is a Gemora in Kiddushin (29a tenth line of the Gemora after the Mishnah, a little before the first “two dots.” Perhaps someone could tell us if this halachah is to be found in the Rambam, Tur, or Shulchan Aruch as well.
That young man is my cousin and thank G-d he and the woman and dog are safe. There was more to the danger involved than the papers reported. He is always a tsadik and was so in this case. As an orthodox Jew myself, it is appalling to me the way the comments here disect the circumstances. A young Jewish Man did a wonderful deed. End of Story!!! As for the issue of yichud, it is a non issue..one woman is his future mother in law and the other his future aunt.
Volley you write: “As for the issue of yichud, it is a non issue..one woman is his future mother in law and the other his future aunt.” And therefore? I have heard of “ba’ala ba’ir, pesach pasuach lirshus ha’rabim, shomer(es) sited as hetairim. What is the heter of “future mother-in-law” and “future aunt?”
As an “Orthodox Jew” myself I always like to learn and grow. Please let me know your source.
We say every day “Asher Bachar banu mi’kol ha’amim.” Likewise we say everyday “she’B’ra’anu lichvodo v’hivdilanu min ha’to’im.” One thing that makes us different is that we — the m’kablei HaTorah and lomdei Torah — are able to contribute to HaShem’s Torah specifically through our dissecting, comparing and contrasting, through the give and take, through the milchamta shel Torah. This is what brings to va’haiv b’sufa — the eventual and ultimate love between all Jews
shuali
You may be right that the details in the story are not important, they were probably included b/c readers like details on stories. As you said in your post “Not all that is thought must be said, and not all that is said must be written.” I would think that applies to your posts. You don’t know all the facts about the story the lady said he saved her life that’s all that matters. Even if you were only intending to criticize the author of the article you apparently upset his family and you should apologize and leave it at that.
youdontknowme: I am very happy the lady’s life was saved. I am encouraged and awed by the young man’s selflessness and courage. I would be equally impressed however had I read (in Reader’s Digest for example) of some non-Jew risking his/her life to save someone else’s. I did not and would not judge (and surely not write such a judgment) of someone’s motives or character.
It was not my intention to judge or belittle anyone or anyone’s judgement or decision making under such circumstances. As the title implies — Yeshiva World News — articles should, and almost always do, reflect the world of those whose lives are dedicated to tireless and consistent growth in Torah, avodah, and gimilus chasadim — in ahavas and yiras Shomayim. To glorify deeds that are even remotely breeches in our Torah in such a public forum was, I feel, inappropriate. That is what I was addressing. A public forum as this should avoid details of events that could be misunderstood, misinterpreted, or misapplied.
I meant no harm and did not intend to hurt anyone’s feelings. I surely hope the individual accepts my request for full mechilah, if anyone involved was hurt. I DID mean to question the propriety (and perhaps intent) of writing the details of the heroic act. I also DID mean to address any possible misinterpretation of the hero’s act.
Personal insinuations could have been edited out as was my entire first post which went so far as to question the hashgafah (and agenda)of YW — a site I have grown very fond of searching for news that is important to us as benei aliyah.
Again, I was not questioning the heroe’s intent, motivation, judgment, etc. Our Torah commands us to be mochiach. I felt that was called for on both a personal level and on a general level. I assumed that those who visit YW and those who attend any Yeshiva would want to hear this. Once again I apologize if these intentions were misstated or misunderstood. I would hate to be the cause of any machlokes or pirud in Klal Yisroel especially during this period of the year.