At a Glance
- A woman fell into a 2-foot-deep icy pond while cleaning a pump in Lehigh Township on Sunday.
- Officers responded to a 9-1-1 pendant alert and found her waving for help.
- With a neighbor’s help, they pulled her out and rushed her to the hospital.
- Why it matters: Her body temperature had dropped to 88°, showing how quickly cold water can turn life-threatening.
Lehigh Township police officers are being credited with saving a woman who tumbled into near-freezing water on a frigid January afternoon.
Quick Response to 9-1-1 Pendant
The incident unfolded at 2:36 p.m. Sunday after a 9-1-1 pendant was activated on the 3400 block of West Walker Drive, according to police. Officers arrived to find the woman struggling in about 2 feet of water, waving her arms to attract attention.
Neighbor Joins Rescue Effort
Working alongside a neighbor, the officers managed to haul the woman from the pond and escort her inside her residence. She told police she had slipped into the water while servicing a pond pump.
Hospital Alerted to Severe Hypothermia
Paramedics transported her to a nearby hospital, where staff recorded her core body temperature at 88°, a reading that confirms moderate-to-severe hypothermia.
Emily Carter Reynolds reported the rescue for News Of Philadelphia.
