NASSAU COUNTY, Fla. – A Nassau County Sheriff’s Office deputy is being credited with saving a young child who was struggling in a retention pond behind his home while he was off duty.
On Feb. 18, Deputy Tyler Hohman heard screams and looked toward the pond, where he saw the child in the water, the sheriff’s office said in a news release Monday.
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According to NCSO, Hohman ran outside, entered the pond, and swam to the child, bringing her back to shore.
Once out of the water, the child was losing consciousness and not breathing. That’s when Hohman began CPR, and “within moments” the child regained consciousness.
The child was later airlifted to a local hospital and is doing well, the sheriff’s office said.
Several days after the incident, Hohman met again with the child and her mother during a visit arranged by the agency.
“Seeing her smile and run around was the best thing I could have hoped for,” Hohman said in a statement. “Moments like that remind you exactly why we do this job.”
NCSO said the child’s mother told them her daughter slipped out the back door of her grandparents’ home in the Amelia Concourse area “in a matter of just seconds,” despite efforts to keep the door secured.
“There is little doubt that had Deputy Hohman not been present at that exact moment and acted so decisively, the outcome could have been tragically different,” Sheriff Bill Leeper said.
A video of the reunion between deputies and the child, which was put together by the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office, can be seen below.