Leo Gillick
A police officer became the hero of the day when he saved a toddler’s life from choking only seconds after the parents called 911.
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What happened: A woman noticed that her 2-year-old was struggling to breathe. Adelaide “Addy” Walker had picked up her favorite toy and had popped it in her mouth, as kids are prone to do. She swallowed it, and it became lodged in her throat.
- Her parents didn’t know what to do about the situation. The parents panicked and called 911, hoping that emergency services could get there before their child suffocated. One of them ran to the emergency center at the end of the road, but it was closed. The situation quickly became desperate.
By a stroke of luck, a police officer was only seconds away, and his quick thinking saved the choking toddler. Rushing to their aid, he employed new training techniques he had only just learned.
Lightning Quick Response
Sergeant Michael Lazarine of the Lindale Police Department showed up only 23 seconds after the call was made. He rushed to the parents and knew exactly what to do.
- “I realized pretty quickly I had a different situation on my hands because she’s smaller,” Lazarine said to People, “and I can’t just do the standard Heimlich that they teach you in training.”
So, using his newly learned techniques, he dislodged the toy from the choking toddler. Only a few days before, he had been in a training session with a CPR expert. I don’t think he ever expected to be using toddler-sized choking prevention techniques quite so soon.
Happy Parents: The toddlers’ parents feared the worst when they found their 2-year-old choking. But they were saved by the quick-thinking police officer. “If it hadn’t been for him … she wouldn’t be here today.”
But this should be a lesson to other parents out there. Kids will often put things in their mouths. It’s important to know at least basic child emergency life-saving procedures. It doesn’t take long to learn, and it could be the difference between life and death.
