A mother’s scream of “My baby, my baby!” cut across Midtown Atlanta and turned a routine police search into a fight for a child’s life near Piedmont Avenue, when an Atlanta police sergeant rushed to help a 3-year-old who had stopped breathing after choking. The child, who had started to lose consciousness, began breathing again after the officer performed CPR and worked to clear the airway.
As reported by WSB-TV, on March 23 Sgt. Houston of the Atlanta Police Department’s Homicide Unit was searching near Piedmont Avenue for a missing person when she heard the woman’s cries. She jumped out of her patrol car, found the unresponsive 3-year-old, began chest compressions, then turned the child on their side and worked to clear the airway before calling for Grady EMS. Bodycam video captured the moment the toddler began breathing again and regaining alertness, and the child was rushed to the hospital for further treatment.
Bodycam Captures Critical Seconds
In a statement to WSB-TV, the Atlanta Police Department credited Sgt. Houston’s actions, saying, “Her quick response and decisive actions saved the child’s life.” At the scene, the child’s mother thanked Houston as medics took over.
Rescues Highlight Value Of Training And Equipment
Quick interventions by officers have a track record of saving young lives across metro Atlanta. For example, Sgt. Nelson hailed as hero details how a Dunwoody sergeant cleared an 18-month-old’s airway with a LifeVac device last year. The Houston case and others underscore how timing, training and, in some situations, donated devices can change outcomes.
The episode also highlights the value of basic lifesaving skills for the public. According to the American Heart Association, pediatric guidelines call for back blows and thrusts for foreign-body airway obstruction and starting CPR if a child becomes unresponsive. Parents and caregivers can find certified classes through hospitals and community programs.
