A Vermont state trooper braved the icy waters to save a young girl's life last month. Trooper Michelle Archer plunged into an unforgiving pond in Cambridge, VT, after receiving a call about two children who had broken through the ice. The quick-thinking trooper managed to rescue the 8-year-old girl using a rope and a flotation device, according to the body cam footage shared by police.
The near-tragedy occurred on Dec. 17 when the girl, alongside her 6-year-old sister, was playing on the thinly glazed pond on their property. Having fallen through the delicate ice, they were in imminent danger of succumbing to the frigid depths. In a fortunate twist, the homeowner, at the senior age of 80, was able to rescue the younger sibling, yet the older child remained out of reach, prompting the desperate 911 call, as reported by Boston.com.
Responding to the crisis, Trooper Archer arrived in less than five minutes and dove into the icy waters with life-saving gear. She pulled a rope and flotation device from her cruiser, ran to the pond and swam to the girl, state police recounted. Archer's valiant swim toward the imperiled child culminated in a successful rescue back to shore.
Once the child was out of the water, Trooper Keith Cote took the reins, carrying the girl to an awaiting ambulance. Initially assessed with potentially life-threatening injuries, the girl made a complete recovery at the University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington, as MYNBC5 detailed. The selfless actions of Troopers Archer and Cote and the quick-thinking homeowner have been recognized and recommended for the agency’s Lifesaving Award by Vermont State Police leadership.
