- The unidentified child and her six-year-old sister were playing near and on the pond’s surface when the thin ice broke and both girls fell in
- The 80-year-old homeowner rescued the six-year-old but could not reach the eight-year-old
- They quickly called 911 and State Trooper Michelle Archer responded
- Video shows how she and State Trooper Keith Cote rescued and took the girl to a hospital for treatment
Newly released bodycam footage shows the moment an eight-year-old Vermont girl was rescued by two heroic officers after she and her younger sister fell into a frozen pond on a private property.
The unidentified child and her six-year-old sister were playing near and on the pond’s surface when the thin ice broke and both girls fell in on December 17.
The 80-year-old homeowner of the property was able to reach and pull the six-year-old to safety as she was near the shore but could not reach the eight-year-old after she drifted towards the center of the pond.
The elderly homeowner quickly called 911 for help and State Trooper Michelle Archer, who was on routine patrol in the area, promptly responded.
Footage shows Archer arriving at the scene in less than five minutes and quickly grabbing a throw rope and flotation device from her cruiser.
She was then seen removing her duty belt and jumping into the freezing pond to save the crying girl.
Video shows the brave officer securing the girl and swimming back to shore while State Trooper Keith Cote helped pick up the girl and carried her to a waiting Cambridge Rescue ambulance.
The crying and in-shock child was immediately taken to a University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington for treatment for injuries, which the officers thought were life-threatening in the moment.
According to officials, she has made a full recovery and returned home.
Archer, Cote and the homeowners have been praised for their heroic conduct and have all been recommended to receive the agency’s Lifesaving Award.
This heroic save comes less than a year after two Arizona police officers rushed into a home where a two-year-old girl had been found drowning in a backyard swimming pool, and performed life-saving CPR.
Officers Garrin DeRonde and Tyler Winger of El Mirage police were called to the house at 6:30pm on in July 2023.
The pair run into the home, past shocked and startled relatives, with Winger asking: ‘Where’s she at?’
Someone yells: ‘Bedroom, bedroom, bedroom!’
Winger runs into the room and finds the mother and little girl in a bedroom, with the mother crying and the girl on her back, struggling to breathe
Winger begins chest compressions, with DeRonde arriving shortly after and helping straighten her legs and arms to allow her lungs to expand.
‘There she is, hey, sweetheart,’ one of the officers says as she begins to respond.
DeRonde tells Winger: ‘Come on, come on, keep going.’
The girl begins to choke up water, and Winger moves her onto her side, patting her back.
‘There you go,’ says Winger. ‘Come on baby, cry, cry.’
Finally, the officers stand the little girl up.
The video ends with officers fist-bumping each other in celebration and relief.
Emily Foster is a globe-trotting journalist based in the UK. Her articles offer readers a global perspective on international events, exploring complex geopolitical issues and providing a nuanced view of the world’s most pressing challenges.
