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Teen pulled from icy pond in dramatic rescue

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ALEXANDER COUNTY, N.C. — Quick action by a neighbor saved a teenager who fell through the ice Sunday night in Alexander County.

It happened along Spring Point Drive in Stony Point where a pond had frozen over because of the frigid temperatures.

Brandon Waldroup credits his son with alerting him to the accident near their home in southern Alexander County.

The two said they quickly ran to the frozen pond. Channel 9′s Dave Faherty could see where the ice gave way in about 9-10 feet of water, 30-40 feet from the bank.

“He was so deep, you could see where his arms were flailing,” Waldroup said. “And you could see he was getting tired and he was holding on to the top of the ice.”

At one point, Waldroup went out on the ice so the rope would reach the teenager.

“Just better hurry up and get him out because he’s going to freeze or go down,” Waldroup said. “I knew there wasn’t going to be a lot of time.”

Waldroup told Channel 9 that he and his son threw a rope out to the teenager trapped in the ice, telling him to put it around him. Waldroup said he then pulled the teenager to safety.

First responders warn everyone to stay off ponds that have frozen over, underscoring that hypothermia can set in very quickly.

Waldroup said the teenager thanked him after being rescued from the pond.

Faherty asked Waldroup if he considered himself a hero.

“No. Anybody ought to step up and help out,” Waldroup said. " I mean, what kind of man are you if you’re just going to stand there and not help them get out of there.”

The teen is doing OK.


(WATCH BELOW: Alexander County man accused of killing his grandmother, deputies say)



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