Jul 11, 2008 11:48 pm US/Pacific
Its A Bird, Its A Plane! Chopper Cops Save Baby
HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif.
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A pair of helicopter officers swooped down and saved a baby choking on food in Huntington Beach.
CBS
Two Huntington Beach police helicopter crew members weren't playing Superman, but they sure saved the day.
The officers heard a mother's 911 plea Friday for help in saving her choking 1-year-old boy. Instead of waiting for an ambulance or squad car, they landed the chopper near the family's home and dislodged food from the boy's throat that was causing the problem.
The pilot, Rick McNaughton, and his observer partner, R.J. Garwood, were monitoring radio calls when the mother, who was calling from her home in the 18300 block of Springtime Lane, spoke to a dispatcher around 11:45 a.m., said police Lt. Irwin Feuerstein.
The mother told the dispatcher that her son was not breathing and was turning blue, but was hysterical and having difficulty understanding the first-aid techniques the dispatcher was giving her, Feuerstein said.
To complicate matters, significant road construction was going on around the home, which would hamper response time by both fire and police responders, Feuerstein said.
The officers "made a judgment call that the others would likely take too long," and they landed the chopper in the street, Sgt. John Van Holt said.
Garwood went inside the house and was able to dislodge the obstruction that was causing the child to choke, Feuerstein said.
Paramedics arrived and took the child to a hospital, where he was reported to be doing fine, Feuerstein said.
The fire personnel said the actions by the helicopter crew not only saved the life of the child, but more than likely prevented brain damage due to oxygen deprivation, Feuerstein said.
(© 2008 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)
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