Deputy Keith Rose has mastered the art of being in the right place at the perfect time.
Daniella Armijo had just put her car in park at a traffic light at an intersection near I-35 when Deputy Rose happened to pull up behind her. The officer’s dashcam captured the tense moments that unfolded, starting with the moment the panicked mother rushed towards his vehicle with her unresponsive child in her arms.
The 4-year-old girl was not breathing, and white foam gathered around her mouth. Deputy Rose was startled but his training quickly kicked in, and he assessed her vital signs and began chest compressions.
In the audio recording, we can hear the deputy working to clear the victim’s airways. “Come on, mama, come on, mama,” he chants. He somehow managed to call dispatch for backup as he worked, but moments later, the child started to breathe on her own again.
“I was relieved to see her moving around and breathing and of course my concern was that mom didn’t squeeze her too tight that she would be unconscious again,” said Deputy Rose.
Once the immediate danger had passed, the cop maneuvered his truck off the roadway and instructed a bystander to move Daniella’s van. While waiting for the ambulance, Deputy Rose put both mom and daughter in the backseat of his truck to stay cool in the air conditioning.
The little girl was taken to Children’s Hospital for a thorough exam, and Deputy Rose is being hailed as a hero who didn’t crack under pressure. The humble hero maintains that he relied solely on his training, explaining that his unit trains for emergencies like these all the time. Still, in over 35 years on the job, this is still a first!
The way he pulled right up behind Daniella at the perfect moment is so fortunate! We’re thankful that this story had such a happy ending.
Watch the full dashcam video below, and be sure to share.
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