South Carolina hero cop saves 12-day-old baby girl's life after she stopped breathing by performing life-saving first aid
A South Carolina police officer who was on a routine patrol is now a hero after he saved a newborn baby's life.
Deputy W Kimbro's body camera footage was released by the Berkeley County Sheriff's Office on Thursday, July 11. The video footage showed Kimbro performing a life-saving action to keep the 12-day-old baby breathing till EMS arrived.
After he successfully saved the newborn child, who was transported to a hospital once EMS rushed to the scene and released later, Kimbro was honored with a "Life-Saving Medal".
"When we wear the uniform and badge, we become what someone needs at that moment. For one Deputy that meant he needed to become the line between life and death for one young child," the Sheriff wrote on their Facebook page.
The incident took place on June 11 when Kimbro was on his regular routine patrolling the Summerville area of Berkeley County. "On June 11, a Deputy was conducting a routine patrol in the unincorporated Summerville area of Berkeley County when he stopped a vehicle for speeding. What happens next was all captured on his department-issued body camera. Upon stopping the vehicle, the driver immediately exited the car and exclaimed that the baby in her vehicle had stopped breathing. Deputy W Kimbro knew he needed to act immediately to save the baby’s life," the post continued.
With no time in hand and to spare, Kimbro immediately started to perform "lifesaving first aid" on the baby's limp body who was on the verge of turning blue.
In the video, Kimbro can be seen holding the baby first before he puts her on her mother's lap and starts massaging her heart and checking for a pulse. He continued to make the baby cry as a sign of breathing. "Come on baby, cry for me, cry for me… Open those eyes, sweetheart," he tells the baby girl. "As long as she’s crying like that she's breathing. I want you to cry. Come on."
Kimbro continued to do so till the EMS arrived at the scene and took the baby to the hospital. The Sheriff added, "Deputy Kimbro made contact with the 12-day-old baby and her mother in the vehicle. The mother told the Deputy that the baby stopped breathing after drinking a bottle. Deputy Kimbro took the baby's limp and cyanotic body and performed lifesaving first aid. As a result, he was able to get the baby to breathe again until EMS could arrive."
He continued: "Because of Deputy Kimbro's steadfast, professional and heroic response, the 12-day old baby was able to live. Please join us in congratulating Deputy Kimbro for his gallant actions that prolonged human life. He was awarded the 'Life-Saving Medal' from Sheriff Lewis for his heroic actions that day. Well done!"
Following the incident, the baby was sent to a local hospital to be observed. Berkeley County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Carli R. Drayton told CNN that she is expected to survive. "As far as we know, the baby is doing well," Drayton told the outlet.