NEW HARMONY, Utah (KTVX) – An 8-year-old boy is recovering in the hospital after falling through the ice in a southern Utah pond.

The Washington County Sheriffs Office said the incident happened shortly after 5 p.m. at a pond near 3100 East 2500 South in New Harmony, Utah. The boy chased a dog onto the pond, then fell through the ice, authorities said.

Sheriff’s deputies, members of the Washington County Search and Rescue Dive Team and local EMS responded to the scene.

Sergeant Aaron Thompson with the Sheriff’s Office was one of the first people on scene. After arriving, Thompson made the decision to enter the water. He removed his police gear and entered the water where he punched a hole in the ice and got into the water.

“I knew that I only had seconds left in that water,” he said. “And I was calling out for that boy, just in desperate hope that I could find him before I had to abandon (him) and come back to shore.”

In the nick of time, he found the boy under the ice and dragged him to shore.

LifeFlight was called to the scene and the boy was taken to Dixie Regional Medical Center for treatment. The Sergeant was also taken to the hospital to be treated for hypothermia and cuts on his arm.

Authorities say Wednesday the boy is awake and doing well.

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