Police Officer Saves 12-Day-Old Baby's Life After Newborn Stopped Breathing During Traffic Stop

A South Carolina police officer on a routine patrol stop unexpectedly became one mother’s hero after he saved her newborn baby’s life.

Deputy W. Kimbro’s dramatic body camera footage was released by the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office on Thursday, featuring his life-saving actions that kept the 12-day-old baby alive and breathing as emergency personnel rushed to the scene.

After successfully saving the newborn child, who was transported to a hospital, but later released, Kimbro was honored with the “Life-Saving Medal.”

“When we wear the uniform and badge, we become what someone needs at that moment. For one Deputy that meant he needed to become the line between life and death for one young child,” the sheriff’s office wrote on Facebook.

The terrifying incident happened on Wednesday, June 11 as Kimbro was routinely patrolling the Summerville area of Berkeley County, according to the sheriff’s office.

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The officer suddenly noticed a vehicle speeding and pulled the car over, expecting to give the driver a ticket. Instead, that person came rushing out of the vehicle in a panic and announced that the baby inside had stopped breathing.

The baby’s mother, sitting in the front seat, also told Kimbro that her daughter, identified as Riley, had stopped breathing after drinking a bottle, the sheriff’s office said.

With no time to spare, Kimbro sprung into action and started performing “lifesaving first aid” on the baby’s “limp” body that began to turn blue.

In the video, Kimbro can be seen holding the baby before placing her on her mother’s lap in the front seat to check for a pulse and massage her heart.

As he carefully monitored the movement of her chest, he also ensured that the baby would continue crying — a sign of breathing — by gently putting his finger in her mouth and speaking to her.

“Come on baby, cry for me, cry for me … Open those eyes, sweetheart,” he tells the baby girl in the footage before she let out a quiet cry. “As long as she’s crying like that she’s breathing. I want you to cry. Come on.”

Kimbro continued performing his lifesaving measures on the baby in the car for nearly six minutes until EMTs arrived and took over.

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“Because of Deputy Kimbro’s steadfast, professional and heroic response, the 12-day old baby was able to live,” the sheriff’s office wrote. “Please join us in congratulating Deputy Kimbro for his gallant actions that prolonged human life.”

The South Carolina Sheriff’s Office also announced that Kimbro had received an honorary medal for his heroic actions. “Well done!” they praised the deserving officer.

Following the dramatic incident, the baby was transported to a local hospital to be observed. She was later released and is expected to survive, Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Carli R. Drayton told CNN.

“As far as we know, the baby has been doing well,” Drayton explained to the outlet.

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