Aurora cops honored for rescuing girl from frigid pond

One of the traditions of the Sons of the American Revolution is honoring Americans who go above and beyond to help others in need or in danger.

With that in mind, members of the Fox Valley chapter visited the Aurora Police Department Friday to present medals and certificates to recognize seven officers who last March saved the life of a 15-year-old Batavia girl, Annie Prosser, by pulling her from a vehicle that had plunged into a frigid pond.

Dressed in colonial garb, Rod Herbig, a Lisle resident and president of the local chapter, presented each officer with a medal and certificate.

Herbig said the tradition of rewarding officers and other emergency personnel dates to the 1890s with the SAR.

“People who do service to the American citizens are often times unrewarded,” he said.

”EMTs, firemen and any of those organizations that help out American citizens, that’s what we’re all about,” he said.

Annie, who got to hug and thank the officers, also attended the ceremony with her family.

The officers who were honored were investigators Edwin Doepel, Erik Swastek, Greg Christoffel, Jeffrey Hahn, Nicholas Gartner and W. Joshua Sullivan along with officer Christopher Coronado.

Herbig said the officers went well beyond their duties when they rescued Annie. “I think the police department of Aurora deserves an award for having officers like this,” he said.