Finnish President awards lifesaving medal to 13-year-old Lenni Toikkanen in Jyväskylä

The President of Finland has awarded five lifesaving medals this year, with 13-year-old Lenni Toikkanen receiving one during a ceremony organized by the Regional State Administrative Agency for Western and Inner Finland. The event took place in Suolahti.

Toikkanen, a resident of Suolahti, was visiting his aunt and her husband in Konginkankaan Kalaniemi, Äänekoski, when a dangerous situation arose in the spring of 2021. He was at the edge of a nearby pond with his uncle, Jari Pilvinen, and the family’s spaniel puppy, Ruut. When the puppy ran onto the ice and fell into the water, Pilvinen bravely rescued the dog. Unfortunately, the ice gave way beneath him, leaving him unable to escape the pond.

In a decisive moment, 11-year-old Toikkanen did not hesitate to act. He first threw a hay pole to his uncle to assist him, but when that failed, he found a rope on the shore. He threw one end to Pilvinen and tied the other to a tree, successfully aiding in his uncle’s rescue.

Toikkanen’s aunt, Arja Pilvinen, put forward a proposal to the President for the lifesaving medal in recognition of the boy’s courage. Initially, the family thought the proposal would not lead to any outcome. However, to their surprise, this fall Lenni Toikkanen learned that he had been awarded the medal. During the award ceremony in Jyväskylä, it was emphasized that “Toikkanen saved a life, demonstrating exceptional bravery and resourcefulness at great personal risk.”

Lenni Toikkanen will be interviewed tomorrow, Wednesday, after 8 AM on Radio Suomi’s regional morning show.