23-Year-Old Good Samaritan Saves Three Children Who Fell Into An Icy Pond In Colorado

A nightmare scenario turned into a miracle-like rescue in Colorado on Sunday. Four children were playing on a frozen pond in Arapahoe County when three fell in and were submerged in the frigid water. Fortunately, a good Samaritan was nearby and saved the children before it was too late.

The children, ages 4 to 11 years old, were playing on the icy pond at The Addison at Cherry Creek apartments, CBS Denver reports. Dusti Talavera, who lives at the apartment complex, was looking out her window when she saw the kids fall in.

Talavera, 23, said she did not hesitate to put on her shoes and rush to the pond, which is 15 feet deep. “Before I realized it, I was on the pond pulling the two kids out, and that’s when I fell in the pond for the third kid,” Talavera said during a press conference on Monday.

Two of the kids made it out safely and Talavera began to pull a 6-year-old up to the surface, but was struggling. That’s when a 16-year-old male, identified as the cousin of the 6-year-old, jumped in to help, according to CBS Denver.

As deputies rushed to the scene, they heard from dispatch that people were out of the pond, but one was not breathing.

Talavera had gotten the 6-year-old girl to the sidewalk and when deputies arrived, Deputy David Rodriguez immediately began chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, CBS Denver reports.

Two other deputies, Deputy Blaine Moulton and Deputy Justin Dillard, and South Metro Fire Rescue also assisted. She was rushed to Children’s Hospital and was breathing and had a pulse. 

“Seeing her breathe was a massive relief,” said Dillard. The girl has been transferred to Denver Health, and as of Monday was in serious condition, but expected to survive, according to CBS Denver.  

“It was a perfect storm,” South Metro Fire Engineer Corey Sutton. The first responders, who have children themselves, were thankful Talavera risked her own life to save the kids. “We were talking back at the fire station after it happened, and I hope if something like that happened to one of my boys, someone like her would be close by,” Sutton said.

CBS News has reached out to South Metro Fire and the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Department for more information and is awaiting response.

On Monday, South Metro Fire said they had received multiple calls over the weekend and that evening about people and animals going out onto ice covered bodies of water. “Please be advised this is extremely unsafe and with our warmer temperatures today, the ice is not sturdy and you can easily fall in,” the station wrote.