A 24-year-old Polish volunteer firefighter who used his own body to protect his wife during the Kraków mass shooting has regained consciousness after suffering devastating facial injuries. Tomasz, a member of the Olszowice Volunteer Fire Brigade, was critically wounded while shielding his wife Kinga from gunfire on 7 November. Now, his fellow firefighters and people across Poland have joined an extraordinary effort to support his recovery.
The couple had married just six weeks before the attack and were travelling to their fire station to lead activities for children when they encountered the gunman fleeing through Kraków.
Their vehicle was struck by the attacker’s car near the junction of Dietla and Stradomska streets, close to the city’s historic centre.
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When Tomasz realised the other driver was armed, he warned Kinga to hide and positioned himself between her and the danger.
Kinga survived. Tomasz suffered severe facial injuries and was taken to hospital for emergency surgery.
At a press briefing on Tuesday, 10 November, his colleagues described what happened, his condition and the support being organised for the young couple.
A split-second decision that saved his wife
Tomasz and Kinga were travelling from Kraków to Olszowice, a village south of the city where they serve in the local volunteer fire brigade.
They were expected at the station to help prepare members of its youth fire brigade for an upcoming competition.
Instead, their journey was interrupted by the gunman responsible for the attack on Kraków’s Main Market Square.
As the attacker attempted to escape, his vehicle collided with the couple’s white Opel near the junction of Dietla and Stradomska streets.
According to Bartłomiej Matoga, deputy head of OSP Olszowice, speaking to Radio Kraków, Tomasz initially got out of the car to investigate the collision.
He then noticed that the other driver was carrying a firearm.
Realising the danger, Tomasz rushed back towards Kinga, told her to take cover and shielded her with his own body.
Matoga said the young firefighter’s actions were crucial to his wife’s survival.
The incident took place during the final stages of the attack, as police confronted the gunman.
Tomasz was seriously wounded in the face by gunfire, while Kinga survived the encounter.
Their colleagues say she has repeatedly expressed her belief that her husband’s response saved her life.
Seven-hour operation and a long recovery ahead
The injuries Tomasz suffered were severe.
His face and jaw were badly damaged, requiring emergency surgery at a Kraków hospital.
According to TVP3 Kraków’s account of the medical update, the initial operation lasted approximately seven hours.
The hospital treatment saved his life, but doctors face a much longer process of repairing the damage.
Tomasz is expected to need further operations, including complex reconstruction of facial bones, followed by specialist rehabilitation.
There has, however, been an encouraging development.
His colleagues reported that he had regained consciousness, recognised family members and remembered the circumstances of the attack.
Because of his injuries, he was not yet able to speak.
Instead, he was communicating with people around him by writing messages.
The information was corroborated by Hubert Ciepły, a spokesman for the Małopolska regional State Fire Service, who confirmed that Tomasz was conscious and answering questions in writing.
Firefighters said on 10 November that his life was no longer in immediate danger, although his condition remained serious and the recovery process would be lengthy.
The precise duration and eventual cost of his treatment remain uncertain.
Married only six weeks before the tragedy
The couple’s story has attracted particular attention because Tomasz and Kinga had married on 26 September 2026, only six weeks before the shooting.
Both are involved in the volunteer fire service.
They share a commitment not only to emergency response work but also to teaching children and teenagers about firefighting.
Their colleagues describe them as a devoted young couple who regularly give their free time to the local community.
At the Olszowice station, they help supervise the Youth Fire Brigade, known in Polish as Młodzieżowa Drużyna Pożarnicza.
Under their guidance, the group has reportedly expanded from just a handful of children to approximately 30 members.
The couple were travelling to one of the youth brigade’s training sessions when the attack happened.
For their friends, the fact that they were on their way to help children has made the events of 7 November particularly difficult.
Firefighters and children gather to support Tomasz
On Tuesday evening, members of OSP Olszowice gathered at their fire station for a press briefing about their injured colleague.
The briefing was organised with the family’s consent.
Among those attending were fellow volunteers and children from the youth fire brigade that Tomasz and Kinga help run.
The children brought handmade cards and drawings expressing their support.
Tomasz’s firefighter’s helmet and protective clothing were placed in a prominent position inside the station.
Speaking to reporters, firefighter Piotr Bacior explained how important helping others had always been to Tomasz.
Helping people had been the young man’s ambition, Bacior said. Now it was Tomasz who needed help from others.
According to PAP’s account of the gathering, published by Onet, the atmosphere at the station reflected the close relationship between the young firefighter, his colleagues and the children he mentors.
The volunteers expressed their determination to support Tomasz and Kinga throughout his treatment.
Firefighters launch appeal to support his treatment
The Olszowice volunteers have established a fundraising campaign to help pay for Tomasz’s medical treatment, rehabilitation and recovery.
The appeal is being organised by his fellow firefighters with the involvement of his loved ones.
The response has been substantial.
By Tuesday evening, 10 November, donations had exceeded PLN 1.6 million, according to TVP3 Kraków’s reporting.
The figure reflects the amount reported at that time, rather than a live fundraising total.
Organisers say that the eventual costs of surgery and rehabilitation cannot yet be reliably estimated.
They have also indicated that any money remaining after the couple’s needs have been met will be directed towards charitable purposes.
The campaign’s authenticity has been confirmed by local authorities, including in a public appeal circulated by municipal officials on behalf of the Olszowice firefighters.
The official fundraising page is available at zrzutka.pl/druhtomek.
A firefighter who helped others long before Kraków
For the people who know Tomasz, his response during the shooting reflected a longstanding commitment to helping others.
He has been involved in volunteer firefighting since childhood and, according to his colleagues, has dreamed of joining Poland’s professional State Fire Service.
Volunteer fire brigades form an important part of Poland’s emergency-response system, particularly in smaller towns and rural communities.
Their members respond to fires, road accidents, floods and other emergencies, often while also maintaining regular employment.
Tomasz has participated in rescue operations and community activities alongside his work with young firefighters.
His commitment has extended beyond Olszowice.
During the devastating floods that affected south-western Poland in September 2024, Tomasz and Kinga travelled with their fellow volunteers to assist residents of Lewin Brzeski.
The municipality has now publicly recalled their contribution while appealing for support for Tomasz’s recovery.
The appeal underlines how people who once received assistance from the young firefighter are now being encouraged to help him.
Kraków continues to recover from the shooting
Tomasz was among those injured in the mass shooting that unfolded in Kraków on Saturday, 7 November.
The attacker opened fire around the city’s historic Main Market Square before fleeing through nearby streets.
Six people were killed, including foreign nationals, and numerous others were injured.
Two police officers were also wounded while confronting and stopping the attacker.
The suspect subsequently died in hospital on 9 November.
Poland-24 has reported separately on the police officers and medical teams involved in the response to the Kraków shooting, and on the wider criminal investigation into the attack.
Tomasz’s story adds another dimension to the events of that afternoon.
He was not on duty responding to the attack. He was travelling with his wife to volunteer with children when the violence reached them.
His colleagues say that his instinct was nevertheless to protect the person beside him.
The focus has now shifted from those moments to the difficult process of helping him regain his health.
With support from his family, fellow firefighters, the children he mentors and donors across Poland, Tomasz faces that recovery surrounded by a community determined to help.
