Wednesday's domestic reports combine a spectacular operation to rescue a roe deer drifting on an ice floe with a series of tragic events on roads and railway tracks. While icebreakers on the Vistula proved their effectiveness not only in breaking ice, dramatic train accidents occurred near Wołomin and in Błonie. Services report fatalities, injuries, and the identification of a body in Łódź using modern facial reconstruction technologies.

Success of Icebreakers on the Vistula

A fleet of six vessels cleared 100 kilometers of the river, also rescuing a roe deer trapped on a drifting ice floe near Kiezmark.

Black Series on the Tracks

In Urle, a 30-year-old woman died, and in Błonie, trains crushed a car. General Wiesław Kukuła appeals for blood for a 17-year-old hero from the Stromiec municipality.

Modern Investigative Technique

The Prosecutor's Office in Łódź published a facial reconstruction of a woman who died in 2024, prepared using a video game graphics engine.

Disruptions on the A4 Motorway

Due to a truck pile-up and planned wreck removal, the route near Zgorzelec and Bolesławiec is experiencing multi-hour traffic blockades.

For several days, an intensive icebreaking operation has been underway on the Vistula, aimed at clearing the river's mouth to the Baltic Sea. During work in Kiezmark, crews of Polish Waters vessels carried out an unusual intervention. A roe deer drifting on an ice floe was spotted, desperately trying to reach the shore. Thanks to the intervention of icebreakers and the Maritime Search and Rescue Service, the animal managed to safely reach land. So far, a fleet of six vessels, including the Tygrys and Narwal, has already broken up 100 kilometers of ice, reaching south of Grudziądz. The history of Polish icebreaking dates back to the 19th century, when the first steamships adapted to work in difficult winter conditions began operating on the Vistula, protecting residents from devastating ice-jam floods.Simultaneously, the country is grappling with a wave of tragic accidents. In the town of Urle near Wołomin, a 30-year-old woman died under the wheels of an Intercity train after entering the tracks with the barriers closed. Meanwhile, in Błonie, footage from January 25 was published showing two trains hitting a passenger car immobilized at a level crossing. Dramatic news also came from Radom, where General Wiesław Kukuła appealed for help for 17-year-old Dominik, who lost his limbs while saving a woman with a pram on a platform. On the A4 motorway, a pile-up of three trucks occurred, leading to one of them catching fire and completely blocking the route towards Germany. „You feel every impact on the ice floe, but this vessel is prepared for it. It was built for this very purpose, to perform this heavy work.” — Józef Rożyński, icebreaker helmsmanIn the criminal sphere, the Łódź prosecutor's office used an advanced graphics engine to reconstruct the face of a woman whose mummified body was found in October 2024. The Łódź-Bałuty District Prosecutor's Office hopes for a breakthrough in the investigation thanks to the publication of the image. At the same time, in Raczyn, police detained a 54-year-old man suspected of murdering the sought-after Małgorzata Ł., putting an end to the multi-day search for the missing woman.Icebreakers in action: 6, Ice broken (km): 100, Distance from Grudziądz (km): 10100 km — of ice cover already broken by icebreakers on the VistulaKey Events of the Last 24 Hours: February 17, 22:00 — Tragedy in Urle; February 18, 10:00 — Detention in Raczyn; February 18, 11:30 — Pile-up on the A4; February 18, 15:20 — Rescue of the Roe DeerMedia emphasize the need to strengthen oversight of railway infrastructure and the need for greater social empathy in life-threatening situations. | Conservative editorial offices highlight the heroism of services and soldiers, promoting the attitude of the teenager who sacrificed his health to save others.

Mentioned People

  • Wiesław Kukuła — Chief of the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces, who supported the blood donation drive for 17-year-old Dominik.
  • Leszek Walczak — Commander of the Municipal Guard in Gdańsk commenting on helping wild animals.