In July of 2011, then-Detective Walter Sweeney responded to a call reporting a drowning in Severn, Anne Arundel County.
When he arrived at the scene, he saw an unconscious infant who had been pulled out of a swimming pool. The child’s condition was getting worse by the second, and without any hesitation, Detective Sweeney immediately performed CPR on the infant, hoping to save the life of the unconscious child.
Sweeney’s urgent efforts to save the child’s life paid off. Then-14-month-old Matthew recovered and lived to tell the story of his incredible survival and hail the bravery of his savior. However, after Matthew recovered, they had not seen each other since.
Matthew’s grandmother saw a post about Sweeney’s promotion on social media and noticed that it was the detective who saved her grandson’s life 12 years ago. She reached out to the Anne Arundel County police department and told them the story of Matthew and Detective Sweeney.
After hearing their amazing story, the Anne Arundel County police arranged a surprise reunion that shocked Lieutenant Sweeney. After so many years, he could not believe that he would ever be reunited with the boy he saved from drowning a decade ago.
When Sweeney saw Matthew, the memories of their fateful encounter came flooding back. He was so happy and touched to see the little boy again who grew up to be a sweet, wonderful young man. They caught up and reminisced about the unforgettable moment they shared together.
Matthew and Sweeney’s reunion was filmed, and it was heartwarming to see them together again after 12 long years. Sweeney was so grateful to see how well Matthew was doing and how much he had grown up.
For Matthew and his family, meeting the man who saved his life meant everything. They talked about how grateful they were to Sweeney for his bravery and quick thinking, which allowed Matthew to survive.
The reunion between Sweeney and Matthew was a happy and heartwarming one that brought joy to everyone who was involved.
Not all police officers get to reunite with the people they save, so they think Sweeney is very lucky to see Matthew again and find out how well he is doing.