New London police body camera footage shows officers pulling two drowning people from Thames River
By: New London, CT - New London police released body camera footage Monday that showed officers rescuing two people who were drowning in the Thames River early Sunday morning.
Both victims are alive and recovering in the hospital.
A bystander reported the two people in the water, and officers rushed in as soon as they arrived on scene.
Lt. Joshua Bergeson was the first to enter the water.
Officers pulled the first man from the water, then went back in for a woman. Fire and EMS crews arrived as officers worked to stabilize both victims on shore. Both had been found unconscious in the water.
Bergeson said the motivation was straightforward.
“It’s two people that are a father, brother, son, sister, mother. And my job is, my goal is get them,” Bergeson said. “Give them every chance possible to have a successful outcome.”
New London Police Chief Brian Wright honored Bergeson and the other officers who responded Sunday.
“No one understands how they’re going to respond under fire per se, but it was clearly seen that these officers knew exactly how to respond and they did an exceptional job,” Wright said.
Bergeson said the response reflected what officers are expected to do.
“We’re the first ones there,” he said. “We’re going to put whatever effort forward we can put forward to try and have a positive outcome, so act. Everyone here stepped up and that’s what we did.”
The circumstances that led to the two people being in the water remained unclear as of Tuesday. An investigation is underway.