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Boy rescued from frozen pond in southern Utah is headed home

Posted at 1:09 PM, Dec 30, 2017
and last updated 2017-12-30 15:16:12-05

NEW HARMONY, Utah – A heartfelt Facebook post from Sgt. Aaron Thompson, with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, has announced that the boy who nearly drowned in a frozen pond is headed home from the hospital.

Sgt. Thompson was the officer who broke through the ice of the pond in New Harmony on Christmas Day to rescue 8-year-old Jason, who had fallen through while chasing a dog.

According to Lt. David Crouse, after Thompson punched through 25 feet of ice to get to the boy, Jason was flown to a hospital in St. George.

An update on Wednesday from the Washington County Sheriff’s Office said that the boy was ‘doing very well.’ Thompson says the call he received today, however, came as a total surprise.

“This all seems so unreal,” Thompson posted to Facebook, “I just received an unexpected call from Jason and his father just now. Jason has been released from the hospital and is headed home surrounded by his loving family. After hanging up, I couldn’t longer [sic] hold back the tears! My heart is full!”

On Wednesday Jason’s father called the encounter “a Christmas Miracle” and thanked the public for “the prayers and thoughtful messages they have received during this difficult time.”