Searching for a boy her father rescued back in the 1970s
Reszka's father (left), Reszka and the little porcelain bear that the Icelandic family sent Reszka's family. Photo/Sent to mbl.is
Magda Reszka from Poland is now searching for an Icelandic boy who was rescued by her father, who was a soldier, after the boy fell into the sea in the harbor of Gdansk in 1976 or 1977. The story of the rescue has been a treasured memory in the home of Reszka’s family. Gifts sent by the Icelandic family to Poland have partly stood the test of time and are well preserved. However, she has no information on the Icelandic family.
Reszka is currently in Iceland visiting her friend Olga, who is a resident of Iceland. Speaking to mbl.is, friends say that Reszka lacked courage until now in order to look for the boy, but she knows that her father would love to know that she was looking for him.
"My father was always helping people," Reszka says.
Didn’t expect the story to travel so far
An Icelandic friend of Reszka’s has now shared her story on Facebook in the hope that the boy, who would be now in his late fifties, would be found. The entry, shown below, has been shared about 480 times.
Some years after the incident, the boy’s family found the family of Reszka and sent them postcards and some parcels. The packages included tablecloths, a porcelain bear and soap, which was a favourite of Reszka since her family were dealing with poverty. She says she can remember how beautifully the soap was decorated.
The two friends have a suspicion that the boy’s family found her father by contacting the Red Cross at the time, but they don’t know that for sure. The postcards did not survive the years so that no personal information on the boy’s family was available.
Miracle if the man were found
Asked what finding the man would mean for her, Reszka says it would be a miracle and a magical sign.
“This would be a great magical sign and a miracle. Here is a man who, thanks to my father, is living a longer life. It would be a magical bond between me and the land, ” Reszka says.
“Reszka did not expect the story to travel so far, but it would be a great pleasure meeting this man even if it wouldn’t happen until a year later. We don’t care. The important thing is to know that he is alive and to remember this incident from when he was just a boy. We are so happy,” Olga says. She marvels at her friend’s joy and is proud of her for taking the step and telling her story.
“My father is watching from heaven,” says Reszka, whose father died 25 years ago.
