Two policemen in Alexandria, Virginia, revived a newborn in the tense moments after he was born not breathing.
Law enforcement officials said Monday that the Alexandria Police Department (APD) got a 911 call just after midnight about a family in desperate need of help when a mother gave birth suddenly to a lifeless baby.
It was a few minutes after midnight when the frantic call came to 9-1-1 and APD Officers responded. A newborn baby was…
Posted by Police Department, City of Alexandria, Virginia on Monday, June 10, 2024
The policemen who rushed to the scene remained calm and quickly took matters into their own hands, the agency continued:
APD Officers Hiltz and Reilly entered an apartment in the 3800 block of Executive Avenue, rushing to locate the baby. They found a newborn not breathing and without a heartbeat. As first responders, their training immediately kicked in, and, without hesitation, Officer Hiltz began performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) while Officer Reilly managed to keep the family calm. After two rounds of CPR, Officer Hiltz located a pulse, and the baby began to “fuss,” as Officer Hiltz described it. The sound of a newborn baby crying could be heard throughout the home.
The baby, Luis IV, and his mother are doing well and have since returned home after a short stay in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
Social media users showered praise on the officers for saving the baby’s life, one person writing, “Well done!” while another user said, “Wow!!! Incredible job. I was tearing up reading this. What a story of two amazing heroes!”
Hiltz said he was laser-focused on making sure Luis was going to be okay in the tense moments, adding, “It felt amazing to hear him cry. In that moment, all the stress and fear of the situation just left me.”
The officers later enjoyed a visit with the baby and his mother and father.
According to the Mayo Clinic, CPR is a lifesaving technique that can revive a person who has stopped breathing or no longer has a heartbeat.
“CPR can keep oxygen-rich blood flowing to the brain and other organs until emergency medical treatment can restore a typical heart rhythm,” the website reads.
