INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Several police officers with the Indianapolis and Lawrence police departments were hailed Tuesday as heroes after they saved two young siblings from an icy pond in Lawrence.

Police say both children have fully recovered, but their father, Daschon Sims, 28, died at a hospital.

Police body cameras caught it all, including the audio from officers and a child being rescued.

“There’s a car in the water. That’s probably what’s going on.”

“Grab the rope its right next to you. Get it! Reach it, buddy. Reach. Grab on tight. Pull. We got you! We got you! Keep your head up. Is that another kid right there? Yeah, that’s my little sister.”

The heart-racing scene played out just before midnight Jan. 12 when the car went into the retention pond on Pendleton Way.

Eight officers in all carried out the daring rescue, using rope bags to pull a father and the two children to the shore. All of them were rushed into the hands of paramedics.

One of the children, a little girl, was in desperate need and received CPR.

Officer Erica Eder of Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department said Tuesday, “As soon as we took the little girl to the ambulance is when I realized the magnitude of what we just did. I think after we did our part, we were like, ‘Oh wow, we could’ve just saved a life.’”

The officers gathered to receive medals of valor for their heroic efforts.

The officers also got to meet the two children they rescued, after they recovered, another moment they’ll never forget. Eder said, “Because I remember what she looked like when I pulled her out of the water. I remember when she was lifeless. So looking at her with life in her eyes and her getting to hug me,
that’s amazing. We never see anything like that. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing.”

IMPD Chief Chris Bailey said Tuesday that the officers didn’t hesitate to help. “This was an extremely dangerous situation. The darkness and freezing conditions in the murky water made for an almost impossible situation. The bravery and teamwork shown by the Lawrence police department and IMPD made the impossible possible.”

Bailey says the officers acted without hesitation, in freezing conditions and at great personal risk, saying their courage deserves to be recognized and honored.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — The following boys basketball games for Tuesday evening are postponed or canceled, starting with ones involving teams in the cleveland.com Top 25:

No. 7 St. Vincent-St. Mary at Youngstown Ursuline

Avon Lake at No. 16 Berea-Midpark

No. 21 Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy at Lake Catholic

No. 24 Solon at Twinsburg (will be played Feb. 17)

Barberton at Revere (will be played Feb. 18)

Cuyahoga Falls at Copley (will be played Feb. 19)

Field at Mogadore (will be played Feb. 16)

Kenston vs. Mayfield (will now be played Jan. 28 at Mayfield and Feb. 17 at Kenston)

Maple Heights at North Ridgeville (will be played Feb. 18)

Norton at Orrville

Woodridge at Manchester