Officers Rescue 2 Children, 2 Adults Trapped In Severn Pond After Car Crash

SEVERN, MD — Police announced that they rescued two children and two adults last Friday after their car crashed into a Severn pond. Nobody was hurt in the accident.

Officers said they also arrested the unlicensed driver, who was wanted on outstanding warrants. Authorities identified the arrestee as 27-year-old Oswaldo Ramirez-Lopez of Glen Burnie.

The rescue started around 9:15 p.m. Lt. Dion Tilghman was on patrol in Severn-Danza Park when he heard the accident nearby.

The four-door car lost control on Donaldson Avenue and went off the road. It passed through trees and a fence before getting stuck in the park's drainage pond.

The car was taking on water, and the occupants were trapped inside. The water was almost up to the door handles when Tilghman arrived. Pfc. Seth Ballard responded to the scene right after.

The two first responders waded into the waist-deep water and broke the passenger windows to gain access. The duo then carried the 9-month-old and the 3-year-old to safety. The partners returned to save the adults.

"The supervisor and an officer, without hesitation, leaped into action," the Anne Arundel County Police Department said on Facebook. "Aside from being cold and wet, everyone involved was unharmed."

The agency released the body camera video of the rescue on Monday. That footage is posted at this link.

Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman on Thursday applauded the officers "for their heroic, lifesaving actions."

"Thank you Pfc. Ballard, Lt. Tilghman, and everyone who came together and acted quickly to rescue this family," Pittman wrote on Facebook.

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