Officer Jeff Lincoln of the Westford Police Department in Massachusetts was on vacation in Florida when he sprung to action to save a 5-year-old girl from drowning in the hotel pool.

Lincoln, who was on vacation at the time with his girlfriend, Caira, and their 7-month-old son, responded immediately to a chaotic situation in the swimming pool when a couple in the pool noticed a little girl was drowning and unresponsive.

“She was turning blue,” Lincoln said. “It just didn’t look good at all. She wasn’t breathing, no pulse…It wasn’t a good scene.” 

The girl’s family screamed for help, and Lincoln immediately stepped in to carry her from the water and perform CPR. It was the first time he had put his CPR certification skills to use. The off-duty officer performed chest compressions for a full two minutes.

“He was so calm,” Caira said. “He just took control of the situation like I’ve never seen before. For everybody watching it felt like years. Just waiting for this girl to move or do something.” 

The girl finally regained consciousness and ran into her mother’s arms crying. She was eventually transported to NCH Naples in an ambulance, where she was evaluated and soon after released.

“If I had anything to say to her, I just want to know that she’s alright,” he said.

Caira said the incident was eye-opening, and a reminder for parents to keep their eye on their children at all times.

After Lincoln’s department posted the story on Facebook, another department, Walpole PD, commented accurately: “Never off duty!”