CHP

Watch: Dashcam Video Shows Officer Calmly Save Baby Choking on a Cherry

The officer pulled over to help the choking baby on the side of the 101 Freeway in Woodland Hills.

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Dramatic dashcam video captured a California Highway Patrol officer’s life-saving response on the side of a busy Southern California freeway. 

California Highway Patrol Officer Casey Ramstead pulled over to help family members on the side of the busy 101 Freeway in Woodland Hills. A woman had called 911 from the minivan to report her baby was choking on a cherry.

CHP Officer Casey Ramstead describes how he saved a baby choking on a cherry.

CHP dashcam video posted to Twitter Monday shows the officer, who is a licensed paramedic, calmly open a door and saw the mother holding her baby in the back seat. He lifted the child out as another officer directs traffic.

"I put my hands out, she handed me the baby," Officer Ramstead said. "I held him up. I was trying to look, listen and feel to see if there was any air exchange happening. I was listening to his back to see if I could hear anything.

"I didn't hear anything. Something was wrong, but I just didn't know how severe."

The officer can seen cradling the baby and slapping the baby’s back to clear the airway. A few seconds later, the cherry dislodged, allowing the baby to breathe normally. 

It's not the first time Officer Ramstead has faced a life-or-death moment. In December 2017, he made a split-second decision that saved the life of a woman who was threatening to jump from a Pasadena overpass with her dog.

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