SHAKER HEIGHTS, Ohio — Incredible police body cam video captured the moments Shaker Heights police officers saved a baby who was choking in a car parked in the middle of a busy intersection, CBS Cleveland affiliate WOIO-TV reports.
“‘Save my baby.’ That’s all I was thinking about, ‘save my baby,”‘ Tamica Pruitte said.
Pruitte said it’s a miracle two Shaker Heights police officers were there the moment her baby stopped breathing Tuesday morning.
“Thank God for them because, if it wasn’t for them, I’d probably still be out there doing CPR on her,” Pruitte said.
She said her 2-month-old baby, Tyra, began choking while riding in the back seat. Pruitte knew she had to get to her daughter quickly, so she stopped in the middle of the street.
“I noticed she was choking on her milk out of her nose, so I put the hazards on and got out of the car and the police came out of nowhere and helped me with the back thrusts for her to breathe,” she said.
When Shaker Heights Police Officers Ryan Sidders and Alex Oklander spotted the stopped car, they had no idea what was wrong.
“We were thinking maybe the car broke down and needed a tow truck in route or something like that,” Sidders said. “Then we see the mother exit the car and run to the other side really, really quickly.”
“The mom seemed kind of frantic and didn’t really know what to do,” said Oklander.
Thankfully, the officers did know what to do. They grabbed the baby and put their training into action. Before long, Tyra began breathing.
“Thank God, as soon as we heard that cough, we were both kind of the like, ‘Phew!”‘ Sidders said.
It was a sigh of relief for the officers and for Pruitte, who knows how lucky she is.
“It could’ve been my life and her life too today, because I had to stop in the middle of traffic,” she said.
According to the Mayo Clinic, if a child is choking in the back seat of a car stop the car as quickly as possible.
If you’re in traffic, turn on your hazards.
If your car is moving, pull to the shoulder immediately because time is of the essence. Dial 911 while stopping the car and provide first aid until paramedics arrive.
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