'It was a lot': Officer who saved father, daughter from drowning recalls heroic act

NORRISTOWN, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- An officer sprang into action this week after a truck plunged into the Schuylkill River in Norristown, Pennsylvania.

The ordeal was caught on video, which took place around 2 p.m. Monday afternoon at Riverfront Park.

Norristown Officer Edward Butterworth ran into the water to save a 12-year-old girl and her father.

"Officer in the water trying to get this female who can't swim. It's alright, hang in there hunny," said fellow Officer Matthew Walsh, who witnessed the heroic incident.

Walsh says the girl was frantic as the truck she was in accelerated off the boat ramp and into the water.

The young girl was in the bed of the sinking truck about 50 to 60 feet from the boat ramp in the middle of the river.

"The truck was sinking rather quickly. We could see it fill up with water. We tried to buy time because we didn't have much," said Walsh.

"The deeper you go, the swifter that current gets and they were right in the center of the river," added Norristown's Acting Police Chief Michael Bishop.

As the girl was slowly sinking, Butterworth put his police training and swimming ability to the test. He told Action News he had never had to respond to this type of rescue.

"By the time I got out there, I couldn't find them. He was under the water," Butterworth recalled. "I was calmly screaming at her, 'Where is he?' He pops up, so she was holding him down so she can breathe, which is normal for anyone who is panicking."

Butterworth says he focused on calming down the girl and keeping their heads above water.

"I was pulling both of them as I was treading backward. I'm not going to lie, I was out of steam by the time I was done. It was a lot," he said.

Despite the physical strain, Butterworth was determined to save the father-daughter duo.

He was successful, saving both within six minutes and with no injuries.

Now, the community is rallying around Butterworth as a hero.

"I'm not a guy to get a pat on the back. You do this job, obviously, everyone wants to help everyone. It's humbling," he said.

While Butterworth insists he doesn't need praise, his colleagues say they are impressed by his actions.

"We swear to uphold the lives and the welfare of people in this community and that's the thing that keeps driving us. That's what drove this gentleman for his heroic deed," said Bishop.

Butterworth celebrates 15 years with the Norristown Police Department on Friday.

Moving forward, local officials say they may add flotation devices to patrol vehicles to save time and lives.