Watch Vt. Trooper Plunge into Icy Water to Save Girl in Frozen Pond
A Vermont State Police trooper jumped into a frozen pond to save an 8-year-old girl who had fallen through the ice last month.
The rescue happened Dec. 17 when Trooper Michelle Archer responded to a report of two girls who had fallen into an icy private pond in Cambridge, WCAX-TV reports. By the time Archer reached the scene, a bystander had pulled a 6-year-old girl from the water, but another girl was still in the pond.
Archer plunged into the freezing pond with a flotation device and went after the girl. She was able to pull the child to land and then began CPR.
“Something took over, and I just kicked into gear," said Archer. "I don’t know if it was my training or instinct, but panic wasn’t a thought at that moment."
Another trooper, Keith Cote, arrived shortly after Archer and the girl were out of the water. He carried the 8-year-old to an ambulance, and the girl was rushed to the hospital.
“The most important outcome is how healthy she is now,” Cote said.
For their actions, the Vermont State Police has recommended that the troopers and the bystander receive the agency’s Lifesaving Award.
