PONTIAC, Mich. (WXYZ) — The Oakland County Sheriff's Office and Waterford firefighters worked together to save a child who choked on possible drug paraphernalia.
According to deputies, they were called to a home on Parkdale Avenue in Pontiac on Sept. 28. Deputies and firefighers arrived and found the child unconscious and not breathing.
Firefighers put the child in the backseat of a patrol car and other deputies blocked traffic to get the child to the hospital as quickly as possible while doing CPR in the back seat.
"Actually, it's against the books to transport people in the patrol car, but when it rises to that moment and they use their discretion, I'm 100 percent behind them," said Sherrif Mike Bouchard. "That's the right thing to do. They did it to save a life and it turned out to work."
The child was able to be resuscitated due to life-saving efforts.
"Time was of the essence and they changed the script; and they're changing of the script saved a life," said Chief Matt Covey with the Waterford Regional Fire Department.
Deputies interviewed the parents and said it was possible the child found drug paraphernalia in a trash can and ingested it. They are continuing their investigation and CPS was notified of the incident.
“Watching the dashcam footage of our Deputies and Firefighters working hand-in-hand together to save the life of an innocent 10-month-old child demonstrates the heart and soul of our first responders,” Bouchard said in a release. “I am incredibly proud of these heroes for relying on their instincts and training during this very stressful moment and I commend them for their quick-thinking and partnership.”
