On Feb. 18, a quiet day in one Nassau County neighborhood turned into a life-or-death emergency when an off-duty sheriff's deputy waded into a retention pond, pulled a young child from the water, performed CPR and helped revive her before she was airlifted to a local hospital, officials say. The child is reportedly doing well after the incident, and Nassau County deputies later arranged a reunion with the family after the agency released footage of what happened.
According to News4JAX, Deputy Tyler Hohman heard screams while he was at his home in the Amelia Concourse area. He ran outside, swam to the child in the retention pond and brought her to shore. Once out of the water, the child was losing consciousness and not breathing, and Hohman began CPR. The sheriff's office said she regained consciousness within moments. The agency later posted video of the rescue and the reunion on March 9.
How the rescue unfolded
Footage and a sheriff's office release show Hohman calling the child by name and shouting for help as he pulled her from the pond, then immediately starting chest compressions and rescue breaths until emergency crews arrived, per the Nassau County Sheriff's Office. Deputies arranged a visit between Hohman and the child a few days later, turning a terrifying moment into a far more joyful meeting.
Sheriff Bill Leeper praised Hohman's "swift response, courage and selfless actions" in the release, underscoring how quickly the situation could have gone the other way.
Why retention ponds are dangerous
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that drowning is the leading cause of unintentional injury death for children ages 1 to 4, and even a few minutes in the water can cause life-threatening harm. Retention ponds and other small bodies of water are especially risky, public health officials note, because the edges are often slippery, the water is murky and hidden hazards can make it hard or impossible for a child to get out alone.
Local numbers and prevention
Florida has seen a recent rise in child drownings, with reporting by the USA TODAY Network 6 Florida showing more than 100 child drownings in both 2024 and 2025 as state officials push for expanded swim-lesson vouchers. Locally, the sheriff's office points to community efforts such as its Safe Kids Academy and urges parents and caregivers to secure gates and doors, designate a dedicated "water watcher" whenever children are near water and learn CPR.
"Seeing her smile and run around was the best thing I could have hoped for," Hohman said in the agency statement, and Leeper added there was "little doubt" the outcome could have been tragically different without the deputy's intervention, according to the Nassau County Sheriff's Office. After the incident, the sheriff's office again urged residents to review home-safety steps around water and consider CPR training.
