Professional rescue diver Vahe Melkonyan was awarded the Medal for Impeccable Service. He was responsible for recovering the bodies of two girls who had previously disappeared in the Pambak River in the Armenian city of Vanadzor.
The award ceremony was attended by Armenian Interior Minister Arpine Sargsyan. The Republic highly praised Vahe Melkonyan's efforts during the rescue operation.
The tragedy involving the Martirosyan sisters—7-year-old Nare and 13-year-old Marina—occurred on June 15 in Vanadzor. They left their home during the day but never arrived at their destination. It was later discovered that the children had attempted to cross the river using an abandoned pipe connecting the banks, but they lost their grip and fell into the raging current.
Search efforts began immediately. Two days later, on June 17, diver Vahe Melkonyan found the body of the younger sister in the Pambak River. On June 23, the older girl was also found. Approximately 1,700 people, including rescuers, police officers, diving teams, and volunteers, were involved in the massive search.
