Aurora police officers, neighbor honored for saving 9-year-old boy from icy pond

AURORA, Ill. (WLS) — The City of Aurora honored six police officers and a resident for saving the life of a 9-year-old boy after they pulled him from an icy pond.

“On the day they saved this young man over here, they went above and beyond,” said Mayor Richard Irvin.

The day before Thanksgiving, Tyshaun LaFlore went onto what looked like a frozen pond to get a football, but he fell through the ice.

It happened as neighbor Shannon O’Neal was prepping her holiday meal.

“My son came into the house like ‘a boy fell through the pond,’ and I just took off running,” she said.

The former lifeguard barely had her shoes on when she got to Tyshaun.

“I saw his brother tied to a string or rope because he was trying to going out there and get his brother. Just seeing the fear in everybody’s eyes I just jumped in,” she said.

She plunged into the icy waters and kept Tyshaun afloat until police arrived.

“When I got into the water I just told him, ‘hold on to me. It’s going to be okay,'” O’Neal said.

Bodycam video released by Aurora police shows two officers jumping into the water while others worked from shore to make sure everybody got out safely.

“There have been major changes to the winter storm barreling toward us. Latest track, timing NEXT at 10,” said Chief Keith Cross.

Tyshaun’s mother is forever grateful for Aurora police and O’Neal.

“I’m blessed to have my son to spend a Christmas with him, to spend another holiday with him,” Mary Wilkins said.

No one was seriously hurt. The two officers and Tyshaun were treated for minor injuries at a nearby hospital and later released.

Tyshaun now also has a new football.