Walden Pond Rescue: Off-Duty Officer Saves Life

CONCORD, MA — An off-duty Arlington police officer is being credited with rescuing a 70-year-old man from drowning at Walden Pond, not even 24 hours after a fatal incident in these waters. Arlington officer Matthew Riley, who was visiting the pond with his children, pulled the man to safety Monday morning, Concord Police Chief Joseph O'Connor said.

Concord emergency services responded to Walden Pond around 9 a.m. for a report of a possible drowning. When police, fire and EMT arrived, they discovered the man had been rescued and was conscious. (Subscribe to Concord Patch and like us on Facebook for more news and alerts.)

Witnesses said the man went under the water and did not resurface. Riley jumped into the water, swam out to where the man sank and rescued him. The victim was taken to Emerson Hospital for evaluation.

"Officer Riley’s actions are in line with the best practices of law enforcement, and he is to be commended for saving a life here today," O’Connor said in a release. "He took immediate action when he noticed another in danger, and we are very fortunate that he was in the right place at the right time."

Arlington Police Chief Fredrick Ryan said, "Officer Riley’s heroic actions truly represent the mission and values of the Arlington Police Department and the mantra shared among all police officers that we are never truly off duty. In this case, he fell back on his training and experience and took immediate action to save a life that was in imminent danger."

The Sunday drowning of a 28-year-old man at Walden Pond is being investigated, but foul play is not suspected.

Photo by Wikimedia Commons