Body camera video shows New Jersey police officers rescue boy from icy lake: "Hold on to the rope"
Body camera video shows a group of New Jersey police officers rescuing a teenager from an icy pond earlier this week — an act that earned them a special thank you from their community.
Video released by the Woolwich Township Police Department shows Sgt. Joseph Rieger, Patrolman Michael Scambia and Cpl. Steve Spithaler make the rescue at Lake Narraticon in Swedesboro on Sunday, Jan. 4.
"The call came out for a juvenile stuck on the ice. We didn't know if he was in the water, on the water or what we were dealing with," Spithaler said.
When the call came in, right around shift change, the three were able to make it to the lake from the police station in about a minute, and Spithaler got out rescue ropes, he said.
Spithaler said by the time he got to the edge of the lake, Rieger was already going out onto the ice. The video shows the sergeant crawling on his stomach.
"It's gonna break," someone can be heard saying.
The officers then throw out ropes and tell the teen "hold on to the rope, bud!"
But the boy appears to have issues holding on. In a state of distress, you can hear him say he can't feel his hands.
"I'm already freezing, I'm already in the water," he tells the officers.
Then, Rieger falls through the ice, too. Spithaler and Scambia soon jumped in after them.
The officers had to race against the clock, knowing every second the boy spent in the frigid water was risky.
"If it was a couple more minutes, he'd probably have some serious issues, hypothermia...that ice was over 2 inches thick, so that water was pretty cold," Spithaler said.
As the video ends, you can hear them asking for blankets to keep the teenager warm as they come out of the water.
The officers say the incident is a reminder of the dangers of thin ice.
3 Woolwich officers given tickets to Eagles-49ers playoff game
As they ended a workweek that began with saving a life, Rieger, Spithaler and Scambia got a nice surprise.
The officers are each getting two tickets to Sunday's Eagles-49ers playoff game at Lincoln Financial Field.
Dunkin', a partner of the Eagles, visited the Woolwich Township Police Department on Friday, delivering free coffee and donuts for the department and handing the officers the tickets.
The officers said they're looking forward to enjoying the game. Rieger said he hopes to bring his son with him.
"I'm very thankful for you guys coming out today and showing support for us," Rieger said.
"Glad to see some good and see all the people that appreciate what we do," Scambia said.