NYPD officers save choking 2-year-old boy, bodycam video shows
A rookie NYPD officer is being hailed as a hero after saving the life of a 2-year-old boy who was choking just weeks after coming to the rescue of another choking baby.
Officer Freddy Cerpa and his partner, Officer Megan Ficken, responded on Jan. 16 to a 911 call involving an unconscious 2-year-old boy who was choking in the Bronx.
Body camera video captured the tense moments as officers worked to clear the child’s airway.
The boy soon showed signs of life. The child, who had been choking on mucus, was taken to Jacobi Hospital as a precaution and is doing well, police said.
"Just weeks after saving an infant who was choking, Officer Freddy Cerpa once again stepped in to help save the life of a 2-year-old child in distress — a powerful reminder that New York’s Finest are always ready when seconds matter most," the New York City Police Foundation said in a social media post.
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Cerpa told WABC-TV that his experience helping to save a 1-year-old girl in December helped with the latest rescue call.
"The first one was definitely surreal," Cerpa told the outlet of the first rescue. "But in my opinion, this one is all Officer Ficken, and she was there first. I was just glad I was able to assist her."