Watch: Police Officer Works Quickly To Save Life of Newborn Born in Train Station Bathroom
On July 14, Officer Bryan Richards — like many cops — probably didn’t know exactly what his day would be like. Thanks to his training, he ended up saving the life of a newborn baby girl.
Richards is not only a policeman; he’s also a volunteer EMT, and his wife is a paramedic, so it’s safe to say this couple is well-prepared for anything that comes their way.
The baby had apparently been born in the bathroom stall of the Newark Penn Station in Newark, New Jersey, and the beginning of the video from the bodycam shows a woman standing in the stall, holding a tiny newborn in a gray jacket.
The baby wasn’t breathing and its skin was discolored, so Richards quickly donned gloves and took the newborn to a sink to work on reviving her.
The NJ Transit Police posted about the event, sharing the bodycam video along with a written account. The faces of the mother and child were blurred to protect their identities.
“New Jersey Transit Police officers effectively used teamwork, life-saving skills and a police vehicle to save the life of a newborn baby girl,” the post began.
“On Tuesday, July 14, at 10:00 a.m., NJTPD officers at Newark Penn Station responded to a report of a medical event in the women’s restroom. Upon arrival, officers found a mother who was cradling her newborn baby in her arms. The baby was not breathing and was grey in color.”
“Officer Bryan Richards immediately began chest compressions. Nevertheless, the baby remained unresponsive. He urgently called for EMS to respond via police radio.”
Suspecting that EMS wouldn’t arrive quickly enough, Richards and fellow officer Alberto Nunes ran to a police car, Richards still performing compressions on the tiny baby’s chest.
Nunes drove to the hospital, and as they continued on their way, the baby gasped and then cried, much to the relief of the officers.
“It was high stress and high adrenaline,” Richards said at a news conference, according to The Record of North Jersey, “but once I had the baby crying it was a very big sigh of relief.”
“I was so happy and so excited that I heard the baby crying because I knew that it was a sign that the baby was breathing,” Nunes added.
“An excellent job and another precious life saved by New Jersey Transit Police Officers!” the NJ Transit Police’s post concluded.
A man identifying himself as Richards’ father wrote to commended his son for his valiant efforts.
“So very proud of my son for what he did for this little girl,” he commented on the police department’s post. “Thankfully Bryan was in the right place at the right time.”
WARNING: The following video contains graphic content that some viewers will find offensive.
Richards recently became a father, and his own child is only seven months old. No doubt the case meant more to him because of how recently he’s held his own baby in his arms.
According to the comments left by Richards’ father, both mother and daughter are stable and recovering — and all thanks to the quick, life-saving intervention of a few good men.
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