Vermont trooper who saved 8-year-old girl from icy pond in 2023 honored for heroism
Vermont State Police Trooper Michelle Archer has received a Carnegie Medal for Heroism, one of 17 people in the U.S. and Canada who 'risked death or serious physical injury to an extraordinary degree saving or attempting to save the lives of others.'
Archer was patrolling in Cambridge on December 17 when two children fell through thin ice into a private pond off of Eastview Road. The landowner rescued one child. When Archer arrived, she grabbed a life preserver from her cruiser, dove into the pond and rescued the eight-year-old girl from the icy water.
VSP trooper credited with saving life of 8-year-old girl in Cambridge
'When I jumped into that frozen pond, the only thing I was thinking about was reaching that little girl and trying to save her life,' Archer said.
'You don't get into the profession of policing for accolades; you do it because you believe in serving your community and keeping people safe. As humbling as all the awards and attention are that followed what I did that day, nothing can overshadow the biggest reward of all: The little girl survived and fully recovered.'
Last year, Archer received a Vermont State Police Lifesaving Award, among other honors. She was named a finalist for International Association of Chiefs of Police / Motorola Solutions Trooper of the Year.
Vermont trooper involved in July 2024 shootout in Burke nominated for Trooper of the Year award
''This recognition, coupled with numerous others that members of the state police have received in recent weeks and months, reflects so highly on each and every person who works for this agency,' said Col. Matthew T. Birmingham, director of the Vermont State Police. 'Vermonters have much to be proud of when it comes to the state police, from these high-profile awards to the unsung, everyday acts of selflessness, bravery and heroism that people rarely hear about.'
More information about the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission and the 17 newest recipients is available on the fund's website.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
No fines issued for 990 breaches of behaviour order
A ban on city centre street drinking, begging and other anti-social behaviour in Sheffield was breached nearly 1,000 times in three months. The Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) imposed in April means people caught committing offences within a designated area, such as urinating publicly, using drugs or loitering, could be fined up to £100. Sheffield City Council said early results on the order showed that supporting individuals' welfare had been the priority, as no fines had been issued despite 990 breaches by 219 people. Tim Renshaw, CEO of the Archer Project homeless charity, said it was important that people who were homeless and affected by the order were offered meaningful support. "People within street homeless communities often have a set of multiple barriers to address," he said. "Maintaining long-term support is important if we are going to see people's lives change." The council said that in 350 cases, the individual was offered advice or directed to support and welfare services. Drugs or alcohol were confiscated 99 times. More than 30 individuals were referred to the "ASB harm reduction enforcement pathway meeting", where multiple agencies meet monthly to focus on people with complex needs who are repeatedly breaching the order. Mr Renshaw added: "I've spoken to people who felt they have been approached when they have been sat on the grass drinking and other people haven't. "But the larger picture was that anti-social behaviour in the city centre was problematic, and the PSPO is helping to address that." Sixty-two of the 219 people who breached the order received notices of intended action, which the council said "emphasised a preventative approach", and showed officers had "prioritised offering support" rather than issuing fines. Kurtis Crossthorn, chair of communities at the council, said: "Hopefully in time we will see these behaviours reduced and people feeling safer. "The PSPO is there to keep people safe. It will only be enforced if behaviour is likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress to others. "It is great to see that officers are using their powers to offer support and intervention to those who need it." A report to Sheffield City Council in 2024 suggested the PSPO was needed due to "continuous and unreasonable" anti-social behaviour in parts of the city centre. Just over two thirds of people surveyed and 67 out of 77 organisations supported it being introduced. Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North More on this story Ban on city centre begging and drinking to begin Homeless charity says demand is 'through the roof' Related internet links Sheffield City Council
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
Police arrest man wanted on multiple warrants in Vermont and New Hampshire
A man who had been on the run for days was arrested by Vermont State Police on Saturday.
Boston Globe
16-06-2025
- Boston Globe
Border Patrol smashes car window to detain migrant advocate, teenage stepdaughter in Vermont
De La Cruz, 29, and Perez had been delivering food to dairy farmworkers in the area when Border Patrol pulled over their vehicle in the northern Vermont town of Richford, according to Will Lambek, a Migrant Justice organizer. Lambek said responding officers did not provide a rationale for the stop and, after De La Cruz invoked his right to remain silent, an officer smashed a window of the vehicle and 'forcibly detained' the pair. Brissette said in a written statement Sunday that officers had stopped the vehicle after observing 'suspicious border activity.' He did not describe that activity, nor did he indicate whether the pair was implicated in it. Advertisement 'The vehicle's occupants refused to answer the agents' questions, would not roll down the vehicle's windows, and refused to comply with the agents' lawful orders,' Brissette said. 'Agents were forced to break a window to remove both occupants at which point the subjects were taken into custody' and brought to a nearby station. Advertisement Both De La Cruz and Perez had previously been removed from the US, according to Lambek. The incident was the latest in Saturday's detentions drew the ire of thousands of Vermonters that afternoon as organizers of 'We want to make sure that they know that people are not alone,' Migrant Justice organizer Abel Luna told the Burlington protesters Saturday. 'We want to make sure that they know we're standing together and we're not going to let them do this.' After immigrating to the US as a minor in 2023, Perez joined her mother and stepfather in northwest Vermont and enrolled at Milton High School, according to Lambek. She graduated June 7 and was poised to attend Vermont State University in Castleton this fall. 'We are, as a community, pretty devastated by this and hope to do what we can to try to fight this,' said Megan McLoughlin, who spent two years as Perez's English language instructor. McLoughlin described Perez, known by her nickname, Fabi, as creative and kind — devoted to her family, her community and especially her 3-year-old stepbrother. As one of the first native Spanish speakers to attend school in the predominantly white, working-class town of Milton, Perez 'paved the way' for others, McLoughlin said. Advertisement Like her stepfather, Perez advocated for immigrant rights at the state level. Last year, when the Vermont legislature was considering a bill that would give undocumented college students access to financial aid and in-state tuition rates, Perez spoke in favor of it at a press conference at the Vermont Statehouse. Gov. Phil Scott, a Republican, signed it into law shortly thereafter. Heidi Perez at the Vermont State House advocating for housing legislation. Terry J. Allen/Migrant Justice 'She was about to be one of the first students to benefit from that law,' Lambek said. 'Now she's being detained and threatened with deportation. It's just an unbelievably cruel way of cutting off this dream she's been working toward.' De La Cruz, known by his nickname, Nacho, immigrated to the US in 2016, according to Lambek. After a stint working on Vermont dairy farms, he is now a worker at and part owner of a cooperative construction company. His son, Perez's 3-year-old stepbrother, is a US citizen, according to Lambek. In recent years, De La Cruz has taken on leadership roles in Migrant Justice and become a public advocate for policing reforms, climate justice and improved working conditions on dairy farms. In January, he testified in favor of legislation that would prohibit landlords from requesting Social Security numbers from those seeking housing, an impediment for undocumented renters. At a press conference, he said it took him two years after leaving on-farm housing to find an apartment. He described living for months with his family — including his son, then 1 — in a cousin's attic with no electricity, forcing him to fan the baby with cardboard in the summer to keep him cool. Advertisement 'It's unjust that the state relies on our labor to be building these things, but doesn't allow us to live in the houses that we build,' De La Cruz said at the press conference, Last week, Scott signed that bill into law, as well.
