IRWINDALE — Police, paramedics and hospital staff teamed to save the life of a toddler who was choking on a grape late Friday, authorities said.
Rescuers responded about 8:20 p.m. to a report of a choking 2-year-old boy about 8:20 p.m. at a home in the 16100 block of Central Street, Irwindale police Sgt. George Zendejas said.
“A minute and a half after receiving the call, officers arrived and discovered the child not breathing with no pulse,” he said.
Officers John Fraijo, Rudy Campos and Joseph Hardy were the first at the scene.
“(They) immediately began CPR on the lifeless child,” Zendejas said.”During the CPR, the child then showed signs of life with shallow breathing and a slight pulse.”
Los Angeles County Fire Department paramedics arrived and loaded the boy into an ambulance, the sergeant said. They continued treating him as police escorted the ambulance to Citrus Valley Medical Center – Queen of the Valley Campus in West Covina.
Hospital staff managed to remove the full-size grape from the boy’s throat using a vacuum procedure and revived him, Zendejas said. He was listed in stable condition in an intensive care unit Saturday.
Campos said he and his colleagues were pleased to learn the little boy was stabilized at a hospital.
The child was already turning a light shade of blue when officers arrived, he said. But the boy gave a cough and a cry as officers began CPR, which was soon taken over by fire department officials.
“We all have kids. That’s the first thing that goes through our minds,” Campos said. “Our thing was to get that child revived and breathing as soon as possible.”
In addition to commending the officers for their quick actions, Zendejas also commended dispatcher Sherry Peterson who handled the 9-1-1 call and Sgt. Rene Sapien, who supervised the shift.
“The Irwindale police officers’ quick response and immediate CPR efforts were instrumental in saving the life of the child.”
The incident appeared to accidental, and there were no indications of any negligence involved, he said.
PHOTO (left to right): Officer Rudy Campos, Officer John Fraijo, Sgt. Rene Sapien, Dispatcher Sherry Peterson and Officer Joe Hardy.
