Former Danish politician dies saving US mayor

Retired principal Svend Hill-Madsen hailed a hero

Mar 6, 2015

Svend Hill-Madsen, a former councillor at Hadsund Municipality in Jutland, lost his life on Sunday while on holiday on the Caribbean island of Saint Croix after attempting to rescue another tourist from rough seas.

Hill-Madsen, 70, drowned after jumping into the sea to aid Tedd Wallace – the mayor of South Lyon, Michigan – when the American called for help after being swept away by a riptide while boogie boarding. Wallace was then rescued by a second man, who was climbing on nearby rocks.

”They're both heroes,” Wallace told St Croix Avis newspaper. ”I knew I was in trouble and I yelled out. And this wonderful Danish man headed for me immediately. He helped for a couple kicks and then, all of a sudden, he just went under. I don't know if he had a medical condition or something, or what.”

READ MORE: Dane found dead in Thailand

Educator and politician
Hill-Madsen was a retired principal at Randers Statskole gymnasium where he taught history, religious studies and classical civilization for 38 years.

In 1968, he became politically involved in local Venstre activities and was elected to Hadsund Municipality in 1993 – a position he remained in until 2000.

During that time he was a candidate for mayor of the town.

Condoms are “boring” and “difficult”, so Danish youth choose to have sex without them

A new study by the World Health Organization WHO shows an “alarming decline” in the use of condoms by European teenagers. This also applies in Denmark.
Diversifying the Nordics: How a Nigerian economist became a beacon for inclusivity in Scandinavia

Chisom Udeze, the founder of Diversify – a global organization that works at the intersection of inclusion, democracy, freedom, climate sustainability, justice, and belonging – shares how struggling to find a community in Norway motivated her to build a Nordic-wide professional network. We also hear from Dr. Poornima Luthra, Associate Professor at CBS, about how to address bias in the workplace.
New Lolland rewilding project is “win all round” says farmland owner

A protected nature area will be established in South Lolland, equivalent to around 60 football pitches, near the vast new Femern Belt Link tunnel project. The park will be a rewilding project on agricultural land – a form of land transition that the Danish government has recently begun incentivising as part of its progressive new green tax agreement.
How to easily get your child into a snowsuit – without blood, sweat and tears

As we find ourselves in early September, it may still be hard to imagine colder days ahead. But in the Nordics, winter is never too far away. So let’s take a step ahead and talk about a Danish winter essential for your little one – the snowsuit.
Intro week is not easy for introverts

Pub-crawls, clubbing and icebreakers planned by extroverted senior students for new first-year students can be fun for extroverts, but too much for introverts who feel pressured to participate.
Indian summer hits Denmark for a while

Although the light already disappears after 8 PM, summer rests upon Denmark. This applies especially in the capital area, where the next few days offer sunshine and 25 degrees

Connect Club is your gateway to a vibrant programme of events and an international community in Denmark.

13 Sep: Social Beer Walk – A guided tour of Copenhagen harbour

Career

Diversifying the Nordics: How a Nigerian economist became a beacon for inclusivity in Scandinavia

Chisom Udeze, the founder of Diversify – a global organization that works at the intersection of inclusion, democracy, freedom, climate sustainability, justice, and belonging – shares how struggling to find a community in Norway motivated her to build a Nordic-wide professional network. We also hear from Dr. Poornima Luthra, Associate Professor at CBS, about how to address bias in the workplace.
Lolland Municipality launches support package for accompanying spouses

Lolland Municipality, home to Denmark’s largest infrastructure project – the Fehmarnbelt tunnel connection to Germany – has launched a new jobseeker support package for the accompanying partners of international employees in the area. The job-to-partner package offers free tailored sessions on finding a job and starting a personal business.
This rooftop ‘Scandarabian’ restaurant is helping international jobseekers to upskill for the Danish market

The social enterprise and rooftop restaurant Do More focuses especially on helping long-term unemployed citizens who struggle to enter the Danish labor market due to a lack of experience from their home country, language barriers, and other factors.

Want to advertise your job with CPH Post?

Jobs