Child pulled from icy water of Syracuse pond

Three police officers, a firefighter and a Syracuse resident teamed up Thursday to save a boy who had fallen through the ice into a city pond.

On Friday, 11-year-old Noah Holguin was tired but otherwise doing well, his mother told police.

Police received a 911 call around 5 p.m. Thursday concerning the boy, who had broken through the ice and fallen into Jensen Pond, said Garret Atkin, chief of police for Syracuse.

Sgt. Stan Penrod arrived to find the boy struggling in water on the west side of the pond.

Penrod threw a rope to the boy and, when it didn't reach him, he stepped out onto the ice only to fall through into waist-deep water, Atkin said.

A resident joined in the rescue, holding on to Penrod as he again tried to get the rope to the boy. Still, it fell short.

Atkin said an off-duty officer from the Unified Police Authority, Bill Stone, showed up at the pond with a longer rope, which they were able to get to the boy.

Penrod and Stone pulled the boy to shore.

Syracuse officer Lance Call, who also was off duty, arrived along with an off-duty firefigher. Call put a shirt on the boy to help him warm up, Atkin said.

The rescuers moved the boy to the north side of the pond, where arriving Syracuse firefighters treated the boy and transported him to Davis Hospital and Medical Center for evaluation, Atkin said.

"I'm proud of how my officers reacted to the situation," Atkin said. "They put their lives on the line to rescue a small child."

He also thanked the off-duty public safety personnel and the resident who helped out with the rescue.

"We want to take the opportunity to remind people that, with the warmer weather, venturing on ice could be treacherous," Atkin said.