SOUTH PASADENA — A 3-year-old girl was hospitalized in critical condition but expected to recover after choking on a grape Thursday afternoon, officials said.
A panicked mother called 9-1-1 about 4 p.m. to report her daughter was choking on a grape at a home in the 1100 block of Pine Street, South Pasadena police Cpl. Matthew Ronnie said.
South Pasadena police and paramedics arrived to find the girl unconscious and struggling to breathe, he said.
“The obstruction could not be located or removed at the scene,” the corporal said.
So paramedics loaded the girl into an ambulance and police blocked intersections with their squad cars as rescuers rushed the choking victim to the hospital, he said.
Once at the hospital, doctors were able to remove the grape from the child’s throat, Ronnie said.
She remained in critical condition late Thursday, he said. “They believe she’s going to recover.”