Good Samaritan rescues 2 boys from frozen Frankfort pond

FRANKFORT, Ill. (WLS) -- A pair of fifth graders now have a bond sealed in ice.

A neighbor pulled them from the water of a seemingly frozen pond in southwest suburban Frankfort Sunday night, its layer of ice giving way as the boys ventured out onto it to investigate water fowl.

"They're ducks, not geese. No they are geese, so we went closer to investigate to settle the feud," said Cruz Genet.

Sunday night, Cruz Genet and hockey player Anthony Skopick threw a rock to test the ice near their homes before checking what exactly was out there.

"I heard ice crack and something fall in the water and Anthony yelling 'Help,' so I was like 'Oh Gosh, what's happening, did he fall in?'" Cruz said.

"I just like nothing happened except 'foomp.' It wasn't, like there was no sound, no crack, I just fell through like instantly," Anthony said.

Cruz took action. But like most people in this situation, he was soon a victim

"I went and checked tried pulling him out and I fell in the ice, trying to pull him out. I got out again and tried pulling him out again and fell in, again. So then I'm like, it's no use we are probably going to die out here," Cruz said.

Both boys quickly lost feeling in their limbs. Anthony says he saw Cruz coming for him.

"I thought thank God but then when he fell in I thought, 'Oh no this is my fault' and then he got out again and he tried to save me again," Anthony said.

Anthony's sister was nearby. Her shouts attracted the attention of John Lavin and family, who were driving to the grocery store.

"Soon as I heard that I started running," he said.

A buoy happened to be nearby.

"I grabbed the buoy, kicked off my shoes, and jumped in the lake," Lavin said.

He hauled the kids one-by-one to safety

"I felt I was being lifted out of the water and I am like, 'Yes I am saved!'" Anthony said.

Soon, first responders arrived and took the kids to the hospital. John went home, showered and headed back out for groceries. Everyone met each other once again Monday night.

"I thought it was really, really nice. I can never repay him," Anthony said.

"I hope if the roles were reversed, and my son or daughters were out there... someone would do the same thing," Lavin said.

The boys definitely say now that no matter how thick it looks, don't venture out onto the ice! It's probably isn't that thick.

Interestingly, the rescuer, Lavin, is a banker who lives in the same neighborhood and he has no rescue training, but regularly takes cold showers.