In a dramatic rescue on Florida’s Interstate 275, deputies sprang into action to save a 4-year-old boy who was experiencing a medical crisis, the authorities reported on Sunday.
Around 5:20 p.m. on Saturday, Hillsborough County Sheriff’s deputies were alerted to an emergency call about an unresponsive child on the highway.
Upon their arrival, the deputies discovered the young boy in a dire state—he was not breathing and lacked a pulse.
Body camera footage captured the tense moments as deputies hurried to the vehicle parked on the roadside and swiftly removed the child from the back seat.
The sheriff’s office confirmed that the child showed no signs of life when deputies reached the scene. A woman, who had been administering CPR, exclaimed, “He’s breathing!” as a deputy lifted the boy.
As one deputy picked up the boy, a woman who had been performing CPR could be heard saying, “He’s breathing!”
The deputy carried the child to the side of the interstate, laid him on the ground and began CPR.
Deputies performed CPR immediately and continued until paramedics arrived. (Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office)
“There’s something in the mouth. Pull it out!” one rescuer said.
It was unclear what was blocking the child’s breathing, but once it was cleared, first responders continued CPR until Tampa Fire Rescue crews arrived and took over treatment.
The boy was taken to a local hospital where he was recovering in stable condition. (Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office)
Officials said the child was transported to St. Joseph’s Hospital and is now listed as being in stable condition.
The sheriff’s office credited the deputies’ quick actions with saving the child’s life.
