ALLOWAY TOWNSHIP, NJ (Salem County) – Three New Jersey State Troopers rescued a 14-year-old boy who was stuck waist deep in frigid water in a marsh in Alloway Township Sunday night.
On Feb. 21, at around 11:28 p.m., Sergeant Carl Scowcroft, Trooper Matthew Hess, and Trooper Thomas Rheault were dispatched to the report of a 14-year-old boy who ran away from his residence and got stuck in a marsh near Sawmill Road, state police said.
When troopers arrived to the area, they entered the water and discovered the trapped boy, who was breathing slowly and was unresponsive, state police said.
Due to the frigid temperature of the water, Sgt. Scowcroft made a determination that he needed to take immediate action to save the boy’s life, so he quickly made his way through the mud as Troopers Hess and Rheault kept their flashlights trained on the victim, state police said.
Sgt. Scowcroft pulled the boy out of the marsh and began to carry him towards the shoreline. At the time of the rescue, the victim exhibited signs of hypothermia, state police said.
A short time later, members of the Alloway Township Fire Rescue arrived and entered the water to assist. Troopers Rheault and Hess then secured the boy to a backboard and carried him up the embankment. Alloway Township EMS evaluated the victim and transported him to Salem Memorial Hospital where he was expected to make a full recovery, state police said.
