VIDEO: Officers help save choking baby in Massachusetts

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WGGB/WSHM) - A scary situation unfolded in Springfield, Massachusetts, on Monday when a 3-month-old baby was choking in her car seat while her mother was driving.

Two Springfield police officers were in the right place at the right time and jumped into action to save the baby’s life, Western Mass News reported.

Their heroic actions were caught on body camera footage.

Officers Christopher Charles and Luis Rodriguez were working a detail when a car pulled over and a woman jumped out crying for help.

“A woman got out of the vehicle and began screaming that her baby was not breathing,” Springfield Police Superintendent Cheryl Clapprood said. “Officers immediately ran to the vehicle, and they found a 3-month-old infant girl to be pale, choking, gasping for air.”

The officers took immediate action.

Rodrigues requested an ambulance as Charles worked to save the baby, removing her from her car seat and placing her face down on his forearm, according to officials. He began patting her on the back to clear her airway until she began to respond by crying.

Both officers are members of the most recent graduating class of the Springfield Police Academy and credited the department for their skills that prepared them for a situation like this.

“I just relied on my training. When someone is in distress, you are trained to react. We go through a lot of training in the academy, and I also have kids,” Charles said.

Both Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno and Clapprood praised the two officers for giving this terrifying situation a positive outcome.

“This baby is alive because of Officer Charles and Officer Rodriguez’s efforts,” Sarno said.

The baby was able to be released from the hospital later that day, and although the mom wishes to remain anonymous, she said she is thankful for the two officers’ lifesaving measures.

Copyright 2022 WGGB/WSHM via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.