Heroic West Long Branch officer saves 11-year-old boy from icy lake
Body camera video shows West Long Branch Police Officer David Brosonski securing a rope before jumping into the icy Franklin Lake.
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A tragedy was avoided all thanks to the heroic efforts of a police officer.
When an 11-year-old boy fell through the ice at a West Long Branch lake, the officer was seconds away. The dramatic rescue was all caught on police bodycam video.
The video shows West Long Branch Police Officer David Brosonski securing a rope before jumping into the icy Franklin Lake.
“I've been training over 17 years with water rescue and I was very fortunate that I was the officer that was the first one there,” said Officer Brosonski.
Remembering his decades of water safety training, Brosonski used his knees to break the ice. A minute later, the officer had the boy safely on shore.
“The boy, he was panicked. He was yelling that he couldn't feel his feet and arms. I just told him I was on my way to get him and then everything was going to be all right.”
Officials say the boy got in trouble on the ice after taking a shortcut home from school. Two days of warmer weather left the ice dangerously thin in spots on the lake. It’s estimated he spent five minutes in the water up to his neck.
Police say the depth of this lake is between four and seven feet deep. It was just by chance where he fell that it wasn’t over his head.
“The only thing that went through my mind was, ‘Try to get to this kid, give him the help he needed, and bring him back in,’” said Brosonski.
West Long Branch First Aid took the boy to the hospital. Police say he was back at school on Tuesday and was not hurt.
“Use this opportunity to learn that it is never safe to go untested ice. You should always be cautious. When in doubt, don't go out,” Brosonski said.
