The quick-thinking actions of two New York Police Department officers saved a choking baby’s life.
The parents of 10-month-old Makai called emergency responders after their baby threw up during his nap and stopped breathing on October 10.
First-time mom Asia Rodriguez was watching her son on a baby monitor when he began to choke on spit-up at their home in Queens.
She quickly called 911 in hopes of saving her son’s life. Two NYPD officers arrived to assist just before 5pm that day.
Both were rookies with less than two years of service in the NYPD, according to ABC7.
In impressive body camera footage, a visibly shaken Rodriguez and Makai’s father Brandon Loboy handed their son over to the officers the moment they stepped in the door.
The first time parents watched as one of the officers from the city’s 115th precinct laid Makai over his knee and patted him forcefully on the back, attempting to swiftly dislodge the blockage.
‘He’s good, he’s good,’ the officer finally said after a round of back blows.
Police officers arrived and began performing the Heimlich on Makai to dislodge the vomit he was choking on
First time parents Asia Rodriguez and Brandon Loboy called emergency responders when their son began choking
Makai began to cry and one of the officers picked him up to comfort him. The video showed the officer speaking to the boy in a soft voice and rubbing his back.
Much to his parent’s relief, the Makai appeared to be moving and breathing normally.
The baby was wearing police car pajamas when the officers swooped in to save him.
Little Makai was then loaded onto a stretcher and taken to Elmhurst Hospital Center where he was checked out by paramedics and listed in stable condition.
Makai’s parents expressed their gratitude for the first responders that saved their son’s life.
‘If I could see them, if they could come to my house directly and I could shake their hand and hug them, I would hug them,’ Rodriguez told WFSB.
‘God bless them. Whatever blessings they can be offered in life that they are offered to them, because they absolutely did what they were supposed to do and my son’s here because of them.’
EMS loaded Makai into an ambulance and transported him to a nearby hospital
Makai was listed in stable condition and his parents expressed their gratitude to the officers that saved his life
Loboy applauded the intensive NYPD training that helped his family avoid their brush with tragedy.
‘They saved his life,’ he said. ‘In those moments you can’t understate how good their training is.’
All of New York City’s more than 30,000 officers are required to undergo CPR training. The law enacted in 2017 also stipulated that officers take training courses again every two years.
If a child 12 months or younger is choking, like Makai, the Cleveland Clinic recommends turning the child face down on their chest and firmly striking their back. Much like the NYPD officers flawlessly demonstrated.
Choking children that become unconscious after rounds of back blows and chest thrusts should receive CPR.
The rookies’ identities have not been released, but their heroics will likely follow them for the rest of their careers.
The Daily Mail reached out to the NYPD for comment.
