Two Illinois police officers sustained minor injuries as they rescued a 9-year-old boy and a woman from drowning in an icy pond. Their efforts saved the pair and their dramatic rescue was recorded in its entirety on their body cameras.
On Nov. 23, just before 4:30 p.m., a 9-year-old boy fell into the frozen section of a retention pond at Fox Pointe in Aurora as he was trying to retrieve his football.
When Aurora’s 911 Telecommunications Center received a call for help from a child at the scene, they sent firefighters and police officers to the location immediately.
The two officers were first on the scene.
Officers Darren Pedota, Victor Garcia, Vincent Nardone, and Adan Barraza deployed water rescue kits from their patrol vehicles. Meanwhile, officers Alex Lopez and Andrew Soderlund swam into the freezing water to reach the child, 9-year-old Tyshon, and an adult woman who had gotten into the icy waters in an attempt to save him. The officers first removed their bulletproof vests and heavier clothing to avoid being weighed down.
The officers’ body cameras recorded their lightning-fast response and the dramatic rescue through the icy waters as they reached for the exhausted pair. “In a combined effort, officers were able to safely return to land with the child and the woman,” AIPD wrote.
“I was so scared, and then when I got that call from down there saying he was not responding ... my mind was gone,” she said. “I thought my baby was not gonna be here ...”
After being rescued, Tyshon was transported to an area hospital by the Aurora Fire Department. He had sustained minor injuries. The woman who waded in after him was treated on-site and did not need hospital attention. Officers Lopez and Soderlund, who saved both their lives, sustained bumps and bruises from breaking the ice but were discharged from the hospital in stable condition.
