Anne Arundel County police officer reunites with child he saved from drowning a decade ago

An incredible surprise reunion took place Wednesday between a boy and the police officer who saved his life more than a decade ago. The police officer administered CPR on the child who was just a year old at the time. FOX 5's Tisha Lewis has the story.

ODENTON, Md. - An incredible surprise reunion took place Wednesday between a boy and the police officer who saved his life more than a decade ago.

The police officer administered CPR on the child who was just a year old at the time.

Anne Arundel County police said the reunion was nearly twelve years in the making. The close call and encounter took place in Severn in July 2011.

That's when Detective Walter Sweeney met an unresponsive 14-month-old Matthew.

Sweeney was responding to a call reporting a drowning and wound up performing life-saving CPR on the toddler.

Now, Sweeney is a lieutenant at the Anne Arundel County Police Department.

FOX 5 captured the moment he reunited for the first time with Matthew — who is now 11 years old and meeting the man who saved his life.

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"He said do you remember me? And he looks … You can see the picture. He looks exactly the same," Lt. Sweeney recalled. "It was him, and I'm like I know exactly who you are. So, it's very … It was exciting. A lot of emotions kind of hidden back of how this happened."

Matthew remembered the story about what happened but not the officer.

"They just told me that I fell in the pool, and then um, he gave me CPR," Matthew recalled. "After a couple of weeks, we went to go meet them. That's all. I like, heard."

Matthew will most likely remember the warm embrace he shared with Lt. Sweeney and the time they spent Wednesday for a lifetime.