Sgt. Adam Bennett found the SUV 15 to 20 feet from the water’s edge with its front end submerged and filling with water. A woman was standing next to the open driver’s side door, according to police reports.
“The water’s up above her waist, and Adam asks if there’s anybody else in the vehicle, and she says her baby is in there. She was not able to get the baby out,” Centerville Police Chief Matt Brown said during a recent Centerville City Council meeting.
Bennett told the woman to exit the pond for safety due to the vehicle’s instability and the muddy bottom, according to police reports.
He returned to his cruiser, removed outer gear and secured his firearm, according to police reports. Bennett then notified dispatch of the situation and entered the pond to rescue the child.
Finding the infant in a rear-facing car seat, he unbuckled the 5-point harness and carried him to the pond’s edge, where Officer Daniel O’Neill assisted in lifting them up an embankment.
“What we found out later was, although it was around waist deep where the car was, had it gone a little bit further, it was on a ledge and it went down to about 40 feet deep,” Brown said. “So had the water shifted a little bit, the car moved, we may have had a much different outcome.”
During Centerville City Council’s most recent meeting, Brown presented Bennett with a plaque, a pin for his daily uniform and a medal signifying the life-saving award.
“Adam’s effort that evening saved the life of that infant, and we’re very proud of his accomplishments for what he did,” he said.
The infant’s mother, who police said appeared confused and disoriented, told CPD she missed a dosage of daily medication for a medical condition, according to police reports.
She said she was out delivering food and following a GPS when she ended up in the pond. She said she did not intend to harm herself or her baby.
No charges or citations were issued.
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