Police officer Manuel Pérez (left) with Noa and her father. SUR

Baby girl breathes again thanks to Antequera police officer

The father had rushed to the local police station with the baby in his arms in cardiorespiratory arrest; she was not breathing and her skin was turning purple

IRENE QUIRANTE

Wednesday, 11 January 2023, 11:14 | Updated 11:39h.

A police officer has saved the life of a baby girl after her father rushed to the Antequera police station with the child to ask for help. The 18-month-old girl, whose name is Noa, had gone into cardiorespiratory arrest and an officer performed the Heimlich manoeuvre, getting the child to breathe again.

The events occurred on 27 December. According to the provincial police station, the father arrived with the child in his arms, barefoot and in his pyjamas. He had run out to ask for help, as Noa was not breathing and her skin had started to turn purple.

Four members of the local judicial police group were getting out of a police vehicle when they saw the father with the baby in his arms. When he saw the police officers, he went towards them asking for help for the little girl and one of the officers, Manuel Pérez, took control of the situation.

On seeing that she was not breathing, the policeman placed the baby face down on his forearm, holding her head with one hand, and patted her back several times - right between the shoulder blades - causing the child to cough up mucus and breathe again amid sobs.

After administering first aid, the officers took the baby and her father in an official car to the local hospital, where doctors were waiting - the police station had already notified that the girl was on her way.

The little girl was later discharged from the hospital after doctors said she had suffered an episode of "convulsion due to a feverish state".