Colorado deputy saves choking baby's life: ‘I did what I needed to do’
ARAPAHOE COUNTY, Colo. - A sheriff’s deputy in Colorado is being hailed a hero after saving a choking infant earlier this week. His efforts were captured on his body camera.
Deputy Nicholas Pacheco, who has worked for the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office for the last eight years, said he responded early on August 13 to a call of an unresponsive one-month-old baby "turning blue."
When he arrived on the scene, Pacheco told LiveNOW from FOX that he could tell from the baby boy’s color that he was not breathing and did not appear to be conscious or responsive.
"She [the mother] hands me the baby and just says, ‘please,’" Pacheco, a father of two children, recalled.
Body camera footage as the deputy started using cardiopulmonary resuscitation skills to attempt to clear the baby boy’s air pathway. (Credit: Arapahoe Sheriff's Office)
He immediately started using cardiopulmonary resuscitation skills to attempt to clear the baby boy’s air pathway and resume his breathing.
"I flipped him back and forth between giving him back thrusts and compressions on his chest. He starts coughing up a little bit, starts breathing, and gives out a little bit of cry," the deputy continued.
Soon after Pacheco provided several more back thrusts, the baby spit out a white foamy substance, which appeared to be a mixture of milk and infant cereal.
"He starts crying, his color comes back into his face, and then I tell the parents he's breathing," he said. "Soon as the baby started fully crying, you could see the mom stick her hands on her face and let out this gigantic breath sigh of relief."
Body camera footage shows the baby being transported to a local hospital for evaluation. (Credit: Arapahoe Sheriff's Office)
The baby was immediately transported to a local Children’s Hospital for further evaluation. According to the sheriff’s department, the baby, named Carlos, is doing well and is now back at home.
Arapahoe Sheriff's Office acknowledged Pacheco’s efforts on social media, writing, "Thank you Deputy Pacheco for your quick response and diligence in saving this baby's life."
Pacheco said his sheriff’s office has previously required infant CPR training courses that his instincts of what to do "just kicked in."
"I did what I needed to do, and thankfully, by the grace of God, I was able to help this baby breathe again," he added.
Parents and caregivers can find infant and child CPR training at their local Red Cross or fire department.
This story was reported from Los Angeles.