A Vermont police officer heroically rescued an 8-year-old child from an icy pond.
Two sisters were playing in a frozen pond in northwestern Vermont when they fell into the water. The 80-year-old homeowner was able to pull her sister to shore, but her neighbor, who cannot swim, was unable to save her sister. The elderly man called the police.
Vermont State Trooper Michelle Archer responded to an emergency call about a young child jumping into a frigid pond on private property in Cambridge, Vermont. Archer was in the area and arrived at the scene within five minutes of the 911 call.
Archer retrieved a rope and flotation device from the police cruiser. A state trooper noticed a motionless girl in the middle of the pond, as seen on police body camera video.
Despite sub-zero temperatures, Archer jumped into the icy water to save the 8-year-old girl.
Archer rescued the girl by swimming through bone-chilling water to the helpless girl and bringing her back to the snowy shore.
After the child was rescued from the freezing water, he immediately came back to life and started making noises.
As Archer was trying to pull her out of the water, a second state trooper arrived on the scene. A second Vermont State Trooper carried the girl to an ambulance that had already arrived.
The girl was rushed to the University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington, Vermont. Despite her injuries, which were initially thought to be life-threatening, the girl made a full recovery and she was sent home within a few days.
“I didn't think about it too much. Something was taking over – training. It was the opposite of panic,” Archer said. Said Local media outlet Vermont News First.
Vermont State Police officials praised the “selfless and heroic acts” of Archer, Trooper Keith Cote, and the homeowner, and all three were nominated to receive the agency's Lifesaving Award.
The incident occurred Dec. 17, but authorities did not release police body camera footage until Friday.
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Body camera video: Vermont State Police trooper jumps into icy pond to save childwww.youtube.com
