Officers in Gloucester County, New Jersey, got a big surprise on Friday morning.
A representative from Dunkin’ gave them free tickets to this weekend’s Eagles playoff game as a huge thank you for their courageous actions last weekend.
It was a tense scene in Woolwich Township when officers used ropes and went into a frozen body of water to save a child who had fallen through the ice.
“As soon as he started screaming that he couldn’t feel his hands, I just went out there and tried to go get him,” Sgt. Joseph Rieger said. “Immediately thought of my own son and what I would have done with my own son- just go out and get him as soon as I could.”
The boy was screaming and was not able to grab onto the rope that the officers had thrown to him.
“I try to get him the rescue rope but he can’t hold it because his hands aren’t working. So I go to grab him out of the awter and we both go into the water. So I was able to stand up and throw him on top of the ice and start breaking my way back,” Rieger explained.
The team was able to get the 13-year-old out of the frozen water with no one getting hurt.
Then, Dunkin’ showed up to the police department for Law Enforcement Appreciation Day and praised their actions by giving them tickets to Sunday’s Eagles playoff game against the 49ers.
“This is my job. It was what I signed up to do so getting this kind of attention, I’m not used to it. I’m very appreciative and very excited,” Rieger said.
The officers said that if there’s anything to take away from this story, it’s to stay off of the ice.
Thankfully, the boy they saved is doing just fine and stopped by the police department earlier this week to thank them.
“It was awesome. It was nice to see that he was safe. He learned his lesson. He was very appreciative,” Rieger said.
Want more insights? Join Working Title - our career elevating newsletter and get the future of work delivered weekly.
