CHELMSFORD, Mass. — An off-duty Massachusetts officer is being hailed a hero after police say he saved a child from drowning while on vacation in New Hampshire last week.
Officer Matthew Sech, of the Chelmsford Police Department, was vacationing at Iona Lake in Conway when he heard urgent screams from the shoreline on the morning of Aug. 2, according to a post on the department’s website.
Sech rushed to the scene of the screams and was greeted by a woman who had just pulled her unresponsive child from the water. Police say Sech then delivered several back blows to the child to expel water from her lungs.
The child, who regained consciousness, underwent treatment at a nearby hospital. She has since been released.
Sech, a six-year veteran of the department, recently completed EMT training, according to Deputy Police Chief Gary Hannagan.
“We applaud Officer Sech for his courage and swift response, which unquestionably saved a young life,” Hannagan said in a statement. “His commitment to public safety goes beyond his official duties, exemplifying the highest standards of our department.”
The young girl who Sech saved is said to be in “good health.”
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