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BWC: N.Y. officers, bystanders pull 7-year-old from frigid waters

The boy had fallen into the lock, which had a tall concrete wall preventing him from climbing out, when he attempted to walk his bike across a narrow wall

BALDWINSVILLE, N.Y. — A quick response from first responders and a bystander saved the life of a 7-year-old who fell into icy water while walking his bike across a lock, WSYR reported.

The second-grader slipped into the freezing canal but was pulled to safety after a coordinated rescue effort captured on police body camera footage, according to the report. The video shows officers rushing to the scene and offering reassurance to the child.

“Hey, buddy, we’re coming for you, okay? Just stay right there,” an officer is heard telling the boy as he struggled to stay afloat.

With the help of the rescue team, one member was lowered to reach the child.

Bystander Ed Rohmer had seen the boy fall and immediately called for help, according to the report. In a quick-thinking move, he lowered the bike into the lock so the boy could grab onto a tire until rescuers arrived.

“It’s kind of unconventional tactics, but time was of the essence with the water temperatures,” Baldwinsville’s Northwest District Station Chief Tony McIntyre told WSYR, noting the serious risk of hypothermia.
Thanks to the efforts of Rohmer and emergency personnel, the boy was pulled from the water cold and shaking but alive.

“The fact that the bystander witnessed and heard him in the water, he was only in for a short amount of time, and if that did not happen, there would be a very, very different outcome,” McIntyre said.

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Joanna Putman is an Associate Editor and newswriter at Police1, where she has been covering law enforcement topics since August 2023. Based in Orlando, Florida, she holds a journalism degree from the University of Florida and spent two years working in nonprofit local newsrooms, gaining experience in community-focused reporting. Married to a law enforcement officer, she works hard to highlight the challenges and triumphs of those who serve and protect. Have a news tip? Email her at news@lexipol.com