Orange County deputy jumps into pond to bring siblings to safety

An Orange County deputy jumped into action to save siblings struggling to stay afloat at a Hillsborough pond this weekend.

Deputies were called on Sunday afternoon to U.S. Highway 70 near Holiday Park Road in Hillsborough for a report of a young child running down the road.

Several deputies, with the help of witnesses, found a 7-year-old boy and his 22-year-old sister in a pond behind the Moose Lodge. Deputies said the sister was struggling to pull her brother out of the water, so Deputy Joseph Winecoff entered the pond and pulled the siblings to safety.

"I am so glad the child is OK, and I am grateful to Deputy Chad Boggs, Deputy Brian Cates and Corporal Jeff Jenkins," said Winecoff. "They all played a huge part in this rescue. I am just the one that got wet."

During the rescue, deputies said they learned the boy was non-verbal and had other special needs.

"I also want to stress how important the sister's efforts were. She kept her brother from going under the water and gave us the necessary time to locate them and pull them from the pond before events turned tragic" said Winecoff.

Winecoff will be presented with a lifesaving medal for the rescue next month.