An off-duty firefighter in New Jersey did not hesitate when he heard the crack of a frozen creek, rushing to rescue a child who had fallen through the ice and into the water.
Christopher Connolly, a captain with the Teaneck Fire Department, was walking his daughter to school in Bergen County when he heard the chaos unfold.
Racing to the scene, Connolly found a child almost fully submerged and hanging onto an ice shelf as friends struggled to pull them ashore, the fire department wrote on Facebook.
Connolly quickly assessed the situation to ensure there were no additional victims or risks before pulling the child from the icy waters. He then phoned 911 and provided first aid until police, EMS and other firefighters arrived.
The department said the child is expected to fully recover.
“Captain Connolly’s swift and selfless actions saved a life that day,” Teaneck Fire Chief Joseph Berchtold told the Daily Voice. “We are incredibly proud of him for his bravery and quick thinking.”
The rescue comes just weeks after Connolly was promoted from lieutenant to captain at the start the new year, according to NorthJersey.com. He was recognized alongside eight other Teaneck firefighters during a ceremony on Jan. 15.