An 11-year-old boy who fell through the ice in the middle of a lake in Central Jersey on Monday was rescued by an officer who entered the icy waters “without hesitation,” police said.
The incident occurred in West Long Branch, some 50 miles south of Lower Manhattan. Local police were dispatched to Franklin Lake around 2:40 p.m. after a 911 caller reported that a child had fallen throught the ice.
Patrolman Dave Brosonski, the first officer on the scene, trudged through the frigid water and successfully rescued the boy — who didn’t appear to be injured but was taken to a local hospital for evaluation, police said.
The boy, who was alone, was walking home from school. Officials believe he might have been trying to cross through the icy lake as a shortcut.
“The lake has been frozen over for the past several weeks. People have been out there ice skating on it, playing hockey,” West Long Branch Police Lt. Brian Burton told reporters according to Patch Long Branch-Eatontown. “But [Monday] was of course much warmer. The temperature was in the 50s. There’s still a thin layer of ice on it, though.”
Officials say Brosonski secured a rope across his chest and over one shoulder. Two other officers held the rope as he walked towards the boy. Volunteers firefighters then helped the two officers pull Boroknski and the child back to safety
Franklin Lake, a small body of water in Monmouth County, is located near the Shore Regional High School.