BROKEN ARROW, Oklahoma — A Broken Arrow police officer is being credited with saving a young boy from drowning after he heard a dispatch call and headed toward Events Park even though he had not originally been assigned to the call.
Officer Zach Vick had just picked up morning coffee on May 27 when a call went out about a possible drowning at Events Park, according to 2 News Oklahoma / KJRH.
Vick told the station he was roughly two miles away and decided to respond because he was close and had a direct route to the scene.
When he arrived, Vick said the pond looked calm at first. Then he saw the boy struggling in the middle of the water.
Vick told KJRH, “The second I saw him in the middle of the pond, I could tell he couldn’t swim. I could tell that he had started going under.”
KJRH reported that body camera footage captured the moments before the rescue, including Vick taking off patrol gear before jumping in. The report said a bystander also captured the rescue on a phone.
Vick told the station that by the time he reached the boy, the water had gone down to about the child’s wrist, allowing him to grab the boy and pick him up.
The officer said the boy had slipped away from home that morning. Vick brought the boy safely back to shore, and KJRH reported that both were cold afterward but not injured.
Training, timing and a safe outcome
Vick told KJRH that the experience reinforced his confidence that his training would take over when needed.
“It’s a reassurance that if I get put in a situation, I know that my training is not only going to kick in, but that I’m going to be there to be able to help,” Vick told the station.
The boy was safe and back home with his family, according to the report.
For public-safety supporters, the incident is a reminder that many lifesaving calls begin with quick decisions made before the whole picture is clear: hearing the radio traffic, recognizing proximity, shedding gear, and moving toward a child in danger.
Source-hosted video
KJRH published a video report with interview footage and rescue context. The source-hosted player below is included for readers who want to watch the station’s report; ThinBlueNews is not rehosting the video.
Sources and attribution
- 2 News Oklahoma / KJRH reported the officer’s name, the May 27 timeline, Events Park location, radio-call context, rescue details, quotes, and safe outcome.
- WSVN carried a syndicated version of the KJRH/CNN Wire report, confirming the same core details.
- The featured image uses a KJRH source image from its report/interview footage, with ThinBlueNews source labeling added.