Vermont State Trooper Lt. Cory Lozier presented the Carnegie Medal to state trooper Michelle Archer at a small ceremony held at the Williston, Vermont, barracks on Tuesday, June 17.
Archer was recognized with the medal in March after she rescued an 8-year-old girl from drowning in a frozen pond in Cambridge, Vermont, on Dec. 17, 2023.
The girl was playing on an ice-covered pond when she broke through and fell into the frigid water. Archer was patrolling nearby when she heard the 911 call and responded to the scene. Archer entered the pond fully clothed and held a rescue bag with rope and a small flotation device. She waded out and swam to the unconscious girl floating on her back in water 8 feet deep. Archer grasped the girl’s jacket and held her above the water as she towed her toward the bank. Once in shallow water, Archer grasped the girl under her arms and dragged her onto the bank, where she administered CPR, until the girl started to respond. Another trooper who had also responded took her to a waiting ambulance. She stayed three days at the hospital for treatment of hypothermia and near-drowning. Archer was cold after the rescue but did not seek medical treatment.
Following the small ceremony, Archer took a moment to display her medal that honored her bravery.