New Jersey police are warning residents to “stay off the ice” after they rescued a teenage boy who fell into a frozen pond.
The Woolwich Township Police Department officers crawled onto a frozen pond to save the boy after he fell through the ice Sunday afternoon. The teenager was taken to a hospital and is expected to be okay, police officials told local outlet WPVI.
A concerned citizen called 911 after hearing the boy’s cries for help, the police department said. When officers arrived at the scene, they initially tried to throw a rope to the boy, but he couldn’t grasp it because his hands were too cold.
"He was screaming for help. He had been out there for several minutes already," Sergeant Joseph Rieger told WPVI.
Rieger crawled onto the pond to save the boy, but the ice gave way, according to the police department.
"Once he started screaming that he couldn't feel anything, I think my fatherly instincts kicked in and I just went out and got him," Rieger told WPVI.
“I tried to reach for him to pull him up onto the ice, and when I did that, we both went under. At that point, I could stand. I was probably about up to my shoulders, so I just started throwing him up onto the ice and breaking my way back,” he added.
Two other officers, Corporal Steve Spithaler and Patrolman Michael Scambia, were quick to jump in to assist further, according to the police department.
“Thanks to their quick decision making and teamwork, everyone involved was safely rescued and no injuries were reported,” the agency said.
Spithaler recalled hearing the teen screaming for help, telling WPVI: "The kid was so cold that he couldn't function, and he was screaming to us, 'I can't hold it, I can't hold it.'"
The agency is now warning residents to stay away from ice in light of the incident.
“As a reminder, lakes, ponds, and retention basins are not to be trespassed on unless explicitly permitted by posted signage. Ice conditions are unpredictable and extremely dangerous. Please stay off the ice,” the agency said.
