Caught on dashcam: Officer, 3 adults rescue 9-year-old boy from flooded culvert

JACKSON -- A Jackson police officer helped three other adults rescue a child that was pulled by flood waters into a culvert that runs under a service road. The entire incident was captured by police dashcam.

The incident happened around 4 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 27. Officer Kyle Henning was on patrol when he took a left turn and spotted a group in distress.

"Accelerated as fast as I could. Didn't even call it out on the radio, didn't even put my lights on. Just ran tried to help. Couldn't really tell what it was, but then you saw the water and those arms sticking up from it," said Henning.

A strong current pulled a 9-year-old boy underwater. It sucked him into a culvert that ran under the service road.

Together, Officer Henning and three other adults were initially unable to pull the child out of the water due to the strong current.

Officer Henning then laid in the water and wrapped the child in a "bear hug." With the assistance of the bystanders, they were able to pull the child from the water.

"I was able to twist myself and him enough to wrench him away from the water vortex," said Henning.

The boy, wearing blue, was freed.

"He looked petrified. He was pale. He was in shock," said Henning.

On Thursday afternoon, Aug. 30, Officer Henning and the boy, Gavin Moederndorfer-Quella, were reunited. The boy said he was dared to jump into the creek.

"I thought it would not suck me in," young Gavin said.

"If it wasn't for them he would not be here today," said Taylor Moederndorfer, Gavin's mother.

"That's the whole thing of a first responder. You don't question it. You just go in where people need help," Henning said.

Gavin does not know how to swim. He hopes this is a lesson for everyone to not go into floodwaters.

As noted in a Jackson Police Department Facebook post...