Exclusive Video: VSP Troopers save girl from drowning

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CAMBRIDGE, Vt. (WCAX) – Vermont State Police troopers are being hailed as heroes after saving an 8-year-old girl from drowning in a pond.

Channel 3 News was the first to obtain this body cam footage of the rescue, although we do want to warn you some of the footage could be unsettling.

Vermont State Police say it happened at a private pond off Vermont Route 15 in Cambridge, on Sunday, December 17th.

Trooper Michelle Archer was on routine patrol when she received the call to respond to two young girls who had fallen through the ice. A 6-year-old was quickly pulled to safety by a bystander but an 8-year-old was still in the water. In the video, Archer can be seen grabbing a floatation device and rope out of the cruiser and sprinting into action to save the 8-year-old, she approaches the water and jumps in.

After pulling the 8-year-old to safety, Trooper Kieth Cote brings the girl to an ambulance staged nearby. Police say the 8-year-old survived and was taken to the hospital for further medical treatment. We’ve learned she’s made a full recovery.

Channel 3′s Cam Smith sits down with the troopers in an exclusive interview. We’ve got that story for you tonight.