Crime & Safety
Arlington Police Officer Who Rescued Man From Walden Pond Recognized
The Arlington Board of Selectmen pronounced July 24 'Matthew Riley Day' in honor of the police officer who saved the life of a man at Walden

ARLINGTON, MA — Monday night Arlington Police Officer Matt Riley was recognized by the Board of Selectmen for saving the life of a man at Walden Pond last week.
The board read a proclamation in his honor declaring July 24, "Matthew Riley Day," tweeted out the Arlington Police Monday night.
Riley happened to be at Walden last week with his two small children when a woman started screaming about a man in trouble about 40 feet from the beach. Riley made sure his kids were safe, flipped off his shoes and made a dash into the water to help the man whose hands were the only part visible from shore.
Find out what's happening in Arlingtonfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The man survived, thanks to his quick action. But Riley essentially told the Patch at a news conference after the incident that it was all in a day's work. (Check out thefull story and video of the press conference here)
They declared July 24th as 'Matthew Riley Day' in the Town of Arlington at tonight's meeting. #ArlingtonMA @arlingtonmagov https://t.co/vZz4oyZxOR
— Arlington, MA Police (@ArlingtonMAPD) July 25, 2017
Ofc. Matt Riley (w/his family) was recognized by Arlington Board of Selectmen tonight for his life saving actions last week at Walden Pond. pic.twitter.com/TCdwqkqqPu
— Arlington, MA Police (@ArlingtonMAPD) July 25, 2017
Read the full story of how Riley saved the man and what his 5-year-old daughter said to him after:
Find out what's happening in Arlingtonfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.