Most pro athletes spend their offseason vacationing and training for the upcoming season. NHL star Nico Hischier spent bits of his break assuming the role of a hero.
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Hischier — the top pick in the 2017 NHL Draft — hails from Switzerland and was spending the summer in his home country.
According to Swiss German-language outlet 20 Minuten, Hischier was boating near the Engehalde Weir, a dam near the city of Bern, when he saw a family in distress out on the water.
Two adults and two children were riding an inflatable raft on the river when the current began pulling them toward the dam. Unable to get themselves out of the dangerous situation, they needed assistance from local police, according to the outlet.
Amazingly, the family ended up getting a hand from the New Jersey Devils captain Hischier, too.
The hockey star reportedly assisted in rescuing the family, with an onlooker describing his actions as "heroic," per the outlet.
The witness said the four people in distress were "unable to leave the dangerous area on their own" and that Hischier assisted police in pulling the family to the Engehalde weir footbridge. From there, officials were able to safely retrieve them from the water.
NHL Star Calls Family Rescue a "Team Effort"
"In this situation, everyone is grateful for support. We were all relieved that no one was hurt in the end," Hischier said.
"It was a team effort.We just went out there and executed, got pucks on net."
For those within the Devils organization, Hischier's selflessness is no surprise.
