Parents would love to send their kids out to the park. We prefer to see them play outside and be more active rather than sit and be sedentary with all the gadgets at home.
However, this story should warn parents to look after their children when they are out playing, even if they’re already big enough to look after themselves. Parental Guidance is still needed, especially if the area smells like danger.
Children are lucky enough if they come unharmed or, should harm fall upon them, a stranger would go out of their way to help. If that’s not the case, things may not end up so well for them.
Three kids and an icy pond
Three kids – two girls and a boy – were playing in Collingdale Park in Delaware County, Pennsylvania. The kids tried to cross the icy pond when it broke, and they fell in.
We’ll never know why they were left unsupervised in the first place. Luckily for these three, selfless citizens nearby came to the rescue.
Anthony’s quick action
Anthony Alexander was a 10th grader studying at Academy Park High School. He coincidentally was in Collingdale Park that same afternoon, sitting on a park bench with his friends. That’s when he noticed kids screaming for help.
He immediately sprang into action when he saw three children in the icy pond. He asked his friends to call 911 while he acted on the scene to help the kids.
He first grabbed a tree limb for the kids to grab on, but it was just too slippery. He was left with no choice but to do the unthinkable and decided to go with that. He jumped into the freezing water and grabbed tried to rescue the children.
“His arm was a little close to my hand, so I just pulled him out, and the other girl drifted out, and I pulled her out,” Anthony told CBS Philly.
However, the third child was still out there and was out of his reach.
Then came the second hero
Collingdale Police immediately responded to the 911 call and helped rescue the kids. It was Sergeant Patrick Kilroy that grabbed Anthony out of the water so he could recover from the cold while he jumped in the water to rescue the third child.
The biting cold was getting into him as he noticed he was running out of breath. But he knew that was what he was called to do. He was also acting under his parental instinct, saying he couldn’t imagine not doing what he did if it were his child.
Thankfully, all kids were brought to safety and given immediate medical care. They were lucky that all it took were some change of clothes and a hot shower.
Two heroes saved the day
If it weren’t for Anthony’s quick thinking and the police department’s immediate response, the situation would have quickly turned from bad to worse. Everyone was happy that the incident didn’t cause any further harm.
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