Bodycam video shows Hartford officer conducting a water rescue before he was killed in a crash

Hartford police have released bodycam video from Officer Garten’s body worn camera that was captured during the last Marine Division shift he worked.

Garten was killed in a crash Wednesday night.

“This video illustrates Officer Garten’s professionalism during a water rescue on the CT River,” police said.

The water rescue took place on August 19.

The Hartford Police Marie Division and Dive Team were assigned to the Connecticut River for The Riverfront Dragon Boat & Asian Festival.

At around 3:15 p.m., police received a call indicating boaters on a jet ski had been observed waving for assistance in the river in front of Riverside Park.

Officer Garten and a detective responded.

They found three females floating in the river next to a partially sunken jet ski personal watercraft.

Garten and the detective were able to pull the women from the water.

All three women were uninjured and evaluated by EMS.

The women had capsized the jet ski in the area just north of the Connecticut Southern Railroad Bridge, and drifted over 3,000 feet in the river.