An officer is being hailed as a hero after he saved two people from drowning when their vehicle became submerged underwater.
On Monday around 2 p.m., Norristown Police Officer Matthew Walsh was patrolling the Riverfront Park on Haws Avenue in Norristown as part of his daily duties when he spotted a pick-up truck at the far end of the park on top of a boat ramp. The truck began accelerating quickly towards the Schuylkill River, according to police.
Officer Walsh called in for assistance just as the truck ended up about 50 to 60 feet away from the boat ramp in the middle of the river, police said.
When other officers arrived on the scene they saw that there was a young girl still in the bed of the truck and her father was trying to save her as it started to sink, according to police.
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Police said one of the responding officers, Edward Butterworth, Sr., jumped into action after realizing the young girl did not know how to swim and both she and her father were in danger after the truck became completely submerged.
Officer Butterworth swam out to them and guided both of them back to the shore safely, according to police.
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"Officer Butterworth’s heroic actions saved the lives of these two people, who possibly would not have survived if it were not for his selfless and immediate actions," the Norristown Police Department said in a press release.
The young girl and her father were taken to the hospital for observation but were not injured. Officer Butterworth also was not hurt, police said.
Police later released body camera video of the rescue.
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