The death last week of a Bridgeport 16-year-old after jumping into Lake Zoar in the area of the Glen Road Steel Bridge is tragic. Another family is mourning a senseless loss of a life cut short way too soon, and friends who accompanied the recent victim to the location on July 27 will likely be traumatized by the incident for the rest of their lives.

For now, the Newtown Police Department is rightfully withholding the names of their officers who selflessly dived into Lake Zoar that afternoon, rescued the individual from the water, and commenced life-saving attempts. But no more time should pass before we recognize these Newtown Police officers as heroes.

While in the moment, these responders were likely acting on instinct and training. And while the young victim succumbed after drowning, the efforts of those officers are no less inspiring.

It should be lost on no one in this community that these officers are representative of a team — and we know that no matter which of our officers caught the call for help that fateful afternoon, they would have acted with the same expertise and bravery.

We also must extend public thanks and appreciation to all the other agencies involved, from the emergency telecommunicators who took the first call for help, to Sandy Hook Volunteer Fire & Rescue, Newtown Hook & Ladder, Newtown Volunteer Ambulance Corps, Newtown Underwater Search & Rescue (NUSAR), which was also gearing up for the call, and their underwater search and rescue colleagues in New Milford and Brookfield who were also poised to respond if needed.

As much as anyone wished the final outcome was different, we should all be proud to live in a community where those answering the call for help are so dedicated to protecting not only Newtowners, but anyone who works here, or passes through for whatever reason.