Off-duty ICE officer relies on 'sixth sense' to save drowning child before delivering message to critics

An off-duty Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer is being praised for diving fully clothed into a Florida community pool to rescue an unconscious 6-year-old child from drowning.

Speaking on "Fox & Friends First," ICE officer Gregory Simmonds described the moment he knew something was wrong and delivered a message to those who oppose his agency.

"There was kind of a sixth sense going on," Simmonds said. "I jumped in the pool, swam over as quick as I could. When I picked up the kid, his body condition at that time, I knew immediately that this kid's [going to] need some sort of CPR."

Simmonds was attending his son’s end-of-year soccer party in Pasco County, Florida, when he noticed a pool attendant pointing at something in the water. After asking one of his son’s teammates to check on the child, Simmonds realized something was wrong. He leaped into action to get the child out of the water, performing life-saving CPR.

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"I was absolutely relieved. I mean I was at the right place at the right time. I'm just glad this kid gets a second chance at life. It was truly remarkable," he said.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) posted about Simmonds’ actions online, calling him "heroic" and noting that the child is expected to make a full recovery.

"Officer Simmonds’ quick thinking, decisive actions, and willingness to place himself into action during a critical incident truly demonstrates the exceptional courage and selflessness of our ICE law enforcement," DHS wrote Tuesday.

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DHS also released surveillance footage of the rescue, which shows Simmonds jumping into the water and dragging the motionless child from the pool before beginning CPR. Acting Assistant DHS Secretary Lauren Bis connected the rescue to recent anti-ICE sentiment, noting that officers put their lives on the line to help others.

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"This officer swiftly sprung to action and delivered life-saving medical care to this 6-year-old who drowned," Bis said. 

"Our agents truly are the best of the best. They put their lives on the line to arrest the worst of the worst. Instead of demonizing ICE law enforcement, sanctuary politicians should be thanking them for removing criminals from their communities," she added.

Simmonds echoed those comments, saying he and his fellow officers are simply trying to keep the country safe.

"We're just trying to protect communities. You know, protecting the national security threats that are presented to us and a lot of the public safety threats for our communities," Simmonds said.