8-Year-Old Disappears Into Frozen Pond So Police Officer Starts Punching The Ice With All His Might
January 02, 2018

An 8-year-old boy was saved from drowning in a frozen pond on Christmas Day. A sheriffs deputy risked his life by punching through the ice to rescue the boy.
The boy, Jason, was chasing after his dog who had gone onto the frozen pond when he fell through the ice. The dog made it out but another boy saw Jason fall into the frozen pond. He tried to help pull him out of the water but was unsuccessful. He quickly went to get help and 911 was called.
RELATED: Daring Rescue After Woman’s Beloved Dog Falls Through Ice Of Frozen Backyard Pond
"We're in New Harmony, Utah on Old Highway 91 by a pond and a boy just is drowning please send help immediately," a 911 caller said.
The dispatcher was trying to keep the caller calm. But it had been 15 minutes since the first call to 911. The woman calling in explained that she saw the boy splashing around and then he had gone under the ice.
"We've got help on the way right now we've got a bunch of County deputies, Life Flight and medical coming from Cedar so they should be there shortly," an emergency dispatcher answered.
Arriving At The Scene
Sgt. Aaron Thompson was the first responder on scene. He had previous experience on the dive team and knew what their protocol would be. Thompson could see that the window to save the boy was quickly closing.
"I knew time was of the essence, I had a very short window," Sgt. Thompson said. "I knew exactly what I was getting into when I went into the water."
That's when he made the personal decision to go into the water. There was no time to put on protective gear. He removed his police equipment belt and entered the water. A woman showed Thompson where she had last seen the boy's hand appear and he made his way towards it.
"I went in a few feet where I knew I'd be in about my waist when I started stomping on the ice to do the initial break through the ice where I could get back on it."
credit: Washington County Sheriff's OfficeDesperation To Find The Boy
At this point, Jason had been under the water for about 30 minutes. Thompson began punching through the ice to make a way closer to where the boy was last seen –– about 25 feet from shore. When the ice was too thick to punch with his fists and arms, he crawled back on it to break through.
“Those people were standing on the shore and looking over at me,” Thompson said. “I remember what it was like going to the shore and telling people I wasn’t able to rescue their child. I gave it that one extra pass to try to find that little boy.”
RELATED: Hero Sees Lifeless Girl Pulled From Water, Then Comes To The Rescue
Thompson's past on the dive team had prepared him for what might occur. He was determined to find this boy and make the rescue count.
"Using my tip toes floating in the water about my neck I couldn't touch the bottom but I could feel the reeds so I had a good chance moving my arms eventually I was going to bump into him."
Hopeful Rescue
While others stood on the shore and encouraged Thompson, he continued through the frigid waters to locate the boy.
He called out, “Come on, little buddy, where are ya?” though he knew the boy couldn’t hear him.
In one last effort, Thompson dove into the water and bumped into the boy under the ice.
“Once I saw his face, I pulled his head out of the water,” Thompson shared. “I was desperate.”
Struggling against hypothermia's effects, Thompson began to pull the boy back to shore. The boy was lifeless at the time. Thompson called out to the paramedics to let them know he had the boy.
“Just make it back to shore, just make it back,” Thompson said to himself.
Recovering After The Frozen Pond
The pair were immediately treated by emergency personnel waiting nearby. Thompson suffered from severe hypothermia and deep cuts to his hands and arms from the ice. It also appears he may have suffered nerve damage from the experience.
“I was in bad shape,” said Thompson
credit: Cedar City NewsThompson shared that the cold water actually worked to the boy's favor.
"The temperature of the water was huge in this case to help that boy recover. The colder it is, the longer we have (to find him)," he said.
The boy was rushed to the hospital where he was being treated in the adjacent room to Thompson. A recent update shared more about his current condition.
“Jason is reported as being awake and coherent, responding to questions from family and hospital staff. The father said Jason’s situation has been an example to their family that ‘God hears and answers prayers,’ ” the Washington County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
Defining A Hero
Many declare Thompson a hero for his actions in the frozen pond, but he is quick to point out that it was a team effort.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Her House Was On Fire Then A Hero Broke Down Her Door To Rescue Her
“It’s not me, it’s us. I think that’s the real story here. I was just the one that went in the water,” he told reporters, according to KSL.com. “If there was a hero that night it’s us, it’s not me. I’m just the one that went in the water.”
h/t: New York Post
Featured Image Credit: Cedar City News/Washington County Sheriff’s Office, St. George News
Today's Devotional
A Prayer to Begin Hiding in God - Your Daily Prayer - May 12
Instead of hiding from God in guilt and shame, Scripture invites us to hide in Him—finding freedom, forgiveness, and love in His compassionate embrace.
Today's Devotional
A Prayer to Begin Hiding in God - Your Daily Prayer - May 12
Instead of hiding from God in guilt and shame, Scripture invites us to hide in Him—finding freedom, forgiveness, and love in His compassionate embrace.
Past Stories
- Brave Man Jumps Into Water to Save Woman After She Was Attacked By Bull Shark
- She Was Going to Miss Prom After Breaking Her Back at a Trampoline Park, the Hospital Had Other Plans
- Mom Finds Hope After Tragedy, Hears Her Daughter’s Heartbeat in a Child Who Got a Second Chance
- 90-Year-Old Cancer Survivor Has Saved Over 10,000 Animals, and She’s Still Not Slowing Down
- First Responders Rescue 9-Month-Old From House Fire By Going Through Window
- Playful Black Bear Climbs Playground and Rides the Slide, Just Like a Kid
- Singer Michael Bolton Opens Up About His Aggressive Brain Cancer Diagnosis
- Brave 5-Year-Old Climbs 35 Feet Up a Tree, Firefighters Rush to the Rescue
- Woman Finds Her Father After Almost 28 Years — And Learns the Truth About Why He Left
- Woman Saves Her Late Son’s Best Friend’s Mom With a Life-Changing Donation
- An Indie Bookstore Asked for Help, What Happened Next Will Warm Your Heart
- From Teen Sweethearts to 80 Years of Marriage: ‘God Was So Good to Give Him to Me’
- WWII Veteran Celebrates His 101st Birthday and 75 Years of Marriage to His Loving Wife
- 88-Year-Old Korean War Veteran and Great-Grandfather Graduates From College
- One Year After Losing Boys in a Fire, Parents Find Light in the Form of a Beautiful Blessing
- They Dress Up As Disney Princesses to Bring Joy and Hope to Sick Children, and it's Amazing
- This Couple Parents Triplets and Foster Sons from Wheelchairs, and It’ll Leave You Inspired
- Two-Year-Old is Found By Rancher's Dog After Walking 7 Miles From Home
- Couple Reunites 15-Year-Old Blind Dog With Owners After Finding Her in the Wilderness
- He Saved Her Life in a Pool Accident Five Years Ago, Now They Are Engaged
- Actress Chrissy Metz Left Hollywood For Nashville and She Couldn't Be Happier
- Stranger Helps 81-Year-Old Waitress Who Couldn't Afford to Retire, Now Her Prayers Have Been Answered
- 49-Year-Old Melanie Barratt Becomes First Blind Woman to Swim the English Channel
- 9-Year-Old Boy Remembered By Teacher and Community After Being Swept Away By Flood Waters
- 16-Year-Old Heard a Family's Cries and Saved Them From a House Fire
- Family Grows From 4 to 8 Overnight After Welcoming Identical Quadruplet Daughters
- Little Girl With Autism Reminds Others of Snow White and Her Connection to Animals
- Candace Cameron Bure Shares Fantastic News That Former Co-star, Dave Coulier, is Cancer-Free
- Soldier is Reunited With the Dog She Served With While Deployed
- Her Grandfather Kept a Log of Every Memory He Had With Her Grandmother, and It's Precious
- This 30-Year-Old Feline Might Just Be the World's Oldest Cat
- Special Messages About Love From Kindergarten Class Displayed at Teacher's Wedding
- A Sneaky Brown Tree Snake Slithers Into An Oven in Australia, and Luckily Doesn't Get Cooked
- Florida Man Meets the Son Who Had Been Searching For Him For Almost 40 Years
- Four-Year-Old Sends Out a Message in a Bottle, Receives Reply Less Than Two Weeks Later
- Delivery Driver Saves Woman's Life After Double Checking When Something Didn't Seem Right
- Woman in Heels Stops Robbery at Convenience Store With Her Impressive Martial Arts Skills
- Man That Survived More Than 90 Days at Sea Thought About His Mother Every Single Day
- Quick Thinking 9-Year-Old Saves Choking Friend During Snack Time Emergency
- Video Store Owner Creates 'Christina's Corner' For a Long-Time Customer
- Texas Man Gets Married in the Hospital After Kidney Transplant
- A Bride to Be and Her Best Friend Have Plane to Themselves and Enjoy Every Minute of it
- Dogs Come to School to Help Comfort Young Students Affected by the Eaton Fire
- Toddler Braves the Dark to Save His Great-Grandma
- All Four of These Best Friends Now Live On the Same Street and It's Amazing
- Woman Finds the Most Precious Message Inside Her Thrift Store Purchase
- Mom is Hit By a Piece of Power Tool On Her Way to Walt Disney World
- Veteran Who Loved Burger King Honored With His Own Chair
- Toddler Using Old Phone Calls 911 For Donuts and Gets a Sweet Surprise
- Hospital Hosts Special Father-Daughter Dance for Young Girl Who Missed the One at Her School
Top Artists
Top Music Videos

Oak Ridge Boys 'Jesus Is Coming Soon' The Oak Ridge Boys

Danny Gokey Danny Gokey's Powerful 'Open Up The Gates' Lyric Video

Mac Powell Mac Powell Uplifting Message in 'Good News' Official Music Video

Colton Dixon 'The Other Side' - Colton Dixon Song For Lost Loved Ones

Oak Ridge Boys 'Because He Lives' Classic Performance From The Oak Ridge Boys
Blog
At GodTube, you’ll find daily inspirational videos to lift your spirits and encourage you in your walk with God. Popular videos include worship music from your favorite Christian artists, cute videos with adorable kids and animals, hilarious videos from Christian comedians, user-uploaded videos, and clean viral videos to brighten your day.