The disturbing moment a Vermont state trooper jumped into a frigid pond to rescue an 8-year-old girl who had fallen through the ice was captured on body camera.
On Dec. 17, the girl and her 6-year-old sister were playing in a pond near their home when the ice melted and police officer Michelle Archer made a heroic save, according to WCAX. report.
An elderly neighbor who saw the children in distress managed to pull her younger brother out of the water, but was unable to swim to rescue the drowning girl.
Thankfully, Archer was on patrol nearby and rushed to the scene.
“I didn't think much of it. Something was taking over – training. It was the opposite of panic,” the police officer told local media. Vermont News First.
Video captured by Archer's body camera device shows the moment she used a flotation device and rope to jump into the ice-cold water.
A Vermont state trooper jumped into a frigid pond and pulled out an 8-year-old girl who fell through the ice while playing with her siblings. The child survived and made a full recovery after a short hospitalization. pic.twitter.com/mlqYQM4L3R
— Associated Press (@AP) January 13, 2024
“You get that adrenaline rush before you even get to your destination, and you know you have to get there as quickly as possible,” she told WCAX. “Something took over and I just kicked into gear. I don't know if it was my training or instinct, but panicking was unthinkable in that moment.”
Archer was seen swimming towards the girl, grabbing her and pulling her back to shore less than a minute later.
The stressful video shows relief as the child spits out water and coughs after she's safe on land, showing she's alive and breathing.
Fellow state trooper Keith Cote immediately administered life-saving measures to the girl before transporting her to the hospital, where she made a full recovery after several days of treatment.
Archer, Cote, and the property owner who assisted in the rescue were honored by the Vermont State Police, and all three received the State Police Lifesaving Award for their heroic actions.
