Minister Gajdoš awards the citizens who helped the pilot of the crashed MiG-29 fighter jet
- Author:
- Photo:
- Date: 03.10.2019
- Share: Zdieľať na Facebook
During an awards ceremony at the Ministry of Defence today (3 October 2019), Defence Minister awarded Ľuboš Hano and Lukáš Lendel for giving first aid to the pilot of the MiG-29 fighter jet which crashed on Saturday 28 September 2019. On this occasion, he thanked them for keeping their presence of mind under the circumstances and especially for acting as human beings, because no other drivers passing by stopped to help the pilot. For their act of service, the Defence Minister presented them the Slovak Minister of Defence Medal, 3rd Grade.
Defence Minister Peter Gajdoš said: “Also thanks to their response and help, our pilot is safe and he is now being treated at home in the circle of his loved ones. His life and health are most important to me and I felt I wanted to thank them in person for helping him. Let me say a sincere and wholehearted Thank You!”
Speaking on behalf of the MOD, General Secretary of the SVK Ministry of Defence Ján Hoľko joined the Minister in recognising their act of service and thanking the young men for their assistance.
Among those who came to thank Ľuboš Hano and Lukáš Lendel today were also CHOD Gen Daniel Zmeko and Commander of the Slovak Air Force Maj Gen Ľubomír Svoboda. Gen Zmeko praised the conduct of both awardees as an example of the good relationship between armed forces and civil society. “The Slovak Armed Forces are here for our citizens and I trust this applies also vice versa. These young men acted as human beings, which, to me, is an outstanding example of how we should cooperate together,” he said.
Describing the situation as it unfolded, Lukáš Lendel said: “My friend and I were en route from Nitra to Topoľčany when we spotted a man who was hitchhiking – he was wearing a uniform and was holding a helmet. We pulled the car to the side of the road, and when he told us he was a pilot who had ejected from a MiG-29 fighter aircraft, we were shocked. We tried to help him, we called the 112 emergency helpline and spoke with the operator, and then waited until the emergency services arrived. Helping another man is something each of us should do in such a critical situation.” On behalf of both “first responders”, Lukáš Lendel thanked the Defence Minister for awarding them the medals.
The accident occurred at approx. 21:30 on 28 September 2019. Before ejecting from the MiG-29, the pilot directed the aircraft to go down in an uninhabited area. While the pilot landed at the village of Podhorany, the aircraft crashed some 5km away from his landing point at the village of Nové Sady, in the neighbourhood called Ceroviny, close to Nitra. The cause of the crash is subject to ongoing investigation.
Defence Minister Peter Gajdoš said: “Also thanks to their response and help, our pilot is safe and he is now being treated at home in the circle of his loved ones. His life and health are most important to me and I felt I wanted to thank them in person for helping him. Let me say a sincere and wholehearted Thank You!”
Speaking on behalf of the MOD, General Secretary of the SVK Ministry of Defence Ján Hoľko joined the Minister in recognising their act of service and thanking the young men for their assistance.
Among those who came to thank Ľuboš Hano and Lukáš Lendel today were also CHOD Gen Daniel Zmeko and Commander of the Slovak Air Force Maj Gen Ľubomír Svoboda. Gen Zmeko praised the conduct of both awardees as an example of the good relationship between armed forces and civil society. “The Slovak Armed Forces are here for our citizens and I trust this applies also vice versa. These young men acted as human beings, which, to me, is an outstanding example of how we should cooperate together,” he said.
Describing the situation as it unfolded, Lukáš Lendel said: “My friend and I were en route from Nitra to Topoľčany when we spotted a man who was hitchhiking – he was wearing a uniform and was holding a helmet. We pulled the car to the side of the road, and when he told us he was a pilot who had ejected from a MiG-29 fighter aircraft, we were shocked. We tried to help him, we called the 112 emergency helpline and spoke with the operator, and then waited until the emergency services arrived. Helping another man is something each of us should do in such a critical situation.” On behalf of both “first responders”, Lukáš Lendel thanked the Defence Minister for awarding them the medals.
The accident occurred at approx. 21:30 on 28 September 2019. Before ejecting from the MiG-29, the pilot directed the aircraft to go down in an uninhabited area. While the pilot landed at the village of Podhorany, the aircraft crashed some 5km away from his landing point at the village of Nové Sady, in the neighbourhood called Ceroviny, close to Nitra. The cause of the crash is subject to ongoing investigation.
