Nico Hischier is reported to have helped rescue a family whose inflatable raft was being pulled toward the Engehalde Weir, a dam structure on the Aare river near Bern, Switzerland. Swiss outlet 20 Minuten first reported the incident and the account was relayed by Fox News. According to those reports, Hischier noticed two adults and two children in distress and intervened before emergency services arrived.
What happened
Per reporting by 20 Minuten and the Fox News piece summarizing that coverage, the family of four was in an inflatable raft that began drifting toward the Engehalde Weir. Witnesses told local reporters that the raft moved into stronger current that can form below weirs and low-head dams. Those accounts say Nico Hischier — who was in the area — saw the situation and took action to help the people aboard the raft until first responders reached the scene.
How the rescue unfolded
Details published in 20 Minuten and relayed by Fox News describe a tense sequence in which a small inflatable craft with two adults and two children lost effective control in moving water. Inflatable rafts and similar light craft have limited maneuverability in current, and witnesses reported the boat was being pulled toward the dam face where conditions can become hazardous.
According to the coverage, Hischier was nearby and moved to assist. Reporters say he and others maneuvered to the raft to pull the occupants away from the stronger hydraulic near the weir. The accounts emphasize that the presence of adults and children made the intervention urgent and that emergency services later arrived to secure the scene and support the family.
The local articles do not provide a second-by-second forensic timeline or independent confirmation of every action. What is consistent across the reports is that the raft carried two adults and two children, that it drifted toward the Engehalde Weir, and that Hischier was credited in media accounts with helping to bring the family out of immediate danger before professional rescuers took over.
Why it matters and water safety near dams
Weirs and low-head dams such as Engehalde can produce deceptively dangerous conditions. When water flows over a weir it can create strong downstream currents and a hydraulic zone — sometimes called a “drowning machine” by safety professionals — that can trap boats and swimmers, making self-rescue difficult.
The incident highlights routine summer risks on rivers and reservoirs: sudden changes in current, submerged or unseen hazards, and the limited control afforded by small inflatable craft. Water safety experts consistently recommend wearing life jackets, keeping a safe distance from dam faces and weirs, and avoiding small inflatables in moving water whenever possible.
Practical safety reminders for readers near dams and weirs include:
- Wear a properly fitted life jacket at all times on moving water.
- Keep children in secure flotation and within arm’s reach.
- Stay well upstream and lateral to dam faces and avoid the turbulent flow below weirs.
- If caught in current, try to float on your back with feet pointed downstream and signal for help rather than attempting to swim directly against strong recirculation zones.
Nico Hischier’s background and Devils status
Nico Hischier is a Swiss-born ice hockey player who was selected first overall in the 2017 NHL Draft by the New Jersey Devils. Since then he has become the team’s captain and a regular top-line center. Media reports note he has strong ties to Switzerland and spent part of the offseason in his home country, where this incident took place.
Recent coverage also noted that Hischier signed a five-year contract extension with the New Jersey Devils, an agreement reported in media coverage of his offseason activities. Those contract details were reported in league and team coverage ahead of the incident and are separate from the rescue report; there were no indications in the cited reports that the incident affects his playing status.
Sources and caveats
This article is based on local reporting by Swiss outlet 20 Minuten and a Fox News story that summarized the 20 Minuten account. The Fox News piece published a summary of the local reporting and is the proximate source used here; the Swiss coverage is the original local report. Readers should note that descriptions of Hischier’s actions as “heroic” and statements crediting him with saving the family are characterizations in the coverage and should be treated as reported claims rather than independently verified fact.
Neither outlet published a full independent forensic timeline, and official statements from Bern police or river rescue authorities were not included in the stories cited. Local first responders were reported to have assisted on scene, and the family was reported to have escaped serious injury. We have not independently verified every detail beyond those reports.
Read the accounts directly: the Fox News report summarizing the incident and the original 20 Minuten article are the primary sources cited in this piece.
What comes next
At the time of the reporting cited here, there were no published follow-up statements outlining a formal investigation or charges; local authorities often release more detailed information after coordinating with witnesses and emergency services. If official police or rescue-service updates are published, they may clarify the exact sequence of actions, the role of bystanders, and any safety recommendations or enforcement steps.
For now, the incident remains covered as a reported rescue in local and international media, with Hischier credited in those accounts for helping a family in distress near the Engehalde Weir.
Fox News summary of the incident and original local reporting referenced: 20 Minuten. These sources are cited because they reported the account used in this article; key details remain reported claims.
