By Noah Cohen
nj.com
SALEM COUNTY, N.J. — A trio of New Jersey State Police troopers rescued a 14-year-old boy who was trapped in waist-deep water at a Salem County marsh and showing symptoms of hypothermia, the agency said Tuesday.
The rescue unfolded Sunday around 11:30 p.m. when State Police Sgt. Carl Scowcroft, Trooper Matthew Hess and Trooper Thomas Rheault found the boy stuck in the frigid water near Sawmill Road in Alloway Township after the teen ran away from home, according to police.
“When troopers arrived to the area, they entered the water and discovered the trapped boy, who was breathing slowly and was unresponsive,” State Police said in a statement.
Faced with the bitter cold, Scowcroft decided he needed to act fast to save the boy and headed through the mud to reach the child, authorities said. Hess and Rheault kept their flashlights on the boy as the sergeant carried him toward the shoreline.
“At the time of the rescue, the victim exhibited signs of hypothermia,” according to the statement.
Alloway Township Fire Rescue crews soon went into the water to join in the rescue while Hess and Rheault secured the teen to a backboard and carried him up an embankment.
State Police released body camera footage showing the rescue operation. Authorities said the boy was taken to an area hospital and expected to recover.
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