Cristian Marian Becheanu, now a professional firefighter in Romania, was 14 when he was lowered headfirst into a 15-meter well in Segarcea in 2013 and brought three-year-old Gabriel out alive after crews had been unable to reach him for 11 hours.
Crews tried shovels, a tractor, specialized equipment and different approaches, but the well was too narrow for adults. Becheanu descended with a headlamp and a rope tied to his ankles. Gabriel was taken to hospital, monitored for cervical spine injury and oxygen deprivation, and recovered.
Local and regional officials honored Becheanu and pledged support for his stated goal of becoming a firefighter. Romanian press reported in 2021 that he was the only civilian ever to receive the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations' emblem, Romania's highest emergency services honor.
