Colorado Woman Hailed A Hero For Rescuing 3 Children Who Fell Into Icy Pond

A Colorado woman is being hailed a hero after rescuing three children who fell into an icy pond while playing.

Dusti Talavera, 23, was inside her Denver apartment Sunday afternoon when she sighted the kids, aged 4, 6 and 11, playing on a frozen pond outside. However, seconds later, she saw the children fall into the pond. She rushed outside to save them.

"Instinct was to go outside," Talavera said in a press conference. "Before I even realized it, I was out there on the middle of the pond."

Talavera was able to save two of the kids immediately. Unfortunately, while she was attempting to pull the 6-year-old child out of the pond, the ice under her broke.

The woman then fell into the icy water, which was 15 feet deep. She struggled to pull herself and the unconscious girl out of the pond while trying to keep both of their heads out of the water, reported USA Today.

At that point, the girl's cousin, a 16-year-old teenager, rushed to help and threw a rope toward Talavera. The woman was then able to pull the child out of the water and bring her to the sidewalk.

People in the area attempted to get help and deputies working with the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office were called to the scene. They were informed that some people had fallen into the frozen pond and one of them was not breathing. Upon arrival, officers began to apply CPR on the girl.

"Seeing her breathe was a massive relief," Deputy Justin Dillard told CBS News.

The girl was taken to a hospital, where she remains in intensive care. She is expected to survive. The two other children did not require medical attention.

Sheriff Deputy Blaine Moulton commended Talavera for her heroic act.

"Putting her life at risk for the kids to make sure that they could make it another day is amazing," the officer said as per USA Today.

According to Talavera, all she could think of at that time was to "save the kids."

"I was just worried about them, I didn't really think about it," she told the outlet. "I just knew it was me that had to do it."

She also praised the teenager who helped her get to the shore.