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Arizona deputies save choking 2-week-old baby
In a dramatic rescue near Arizona’s I-17 freeway, deputies heroically saved the life of a 2-week-old infant who was choking, thanks to a heart-stopping 911 call from the baby’s frantic parents. The Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office recounted the event, which unfolded when the concerned parents realized their newborn was struggling to breathe.
The emergency call was placed at approximately 3:30 p.m. on November 10. The distressed parents were driving along the roadway in Yavapai County, desperately seeking assistance after their baby began experiencing severe breathing difficulties.
Responding swiftly, deputies raced to locate the family’s vehicle. Upon arrival, bodycam footage captured the tense moment as deputies sprinted toward the car. The father emerged urgently, cradling the infant in his arms.
According to the father, he had been performing life-saving measures, including infant CPR, back blows, and sternum rubs, for about 15 minutes. Although he managed to get the baby to cry briefly, the infant continued to breathe with difficulty, prompting the need for immediate intervention.
The father told deputies he had been performing infant CPR, back blows and sternum rubs for roughly 15 minutes. He said he got the child to cry briefly, but noted that the baby was still “breathing raggedly.”
A deputy immediately took the baby and began lifesaving care in Yavapai County, Arizona, on Nov. 10, 2025. (Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office)
Video shows a deputy immediately taking the baby and beginning lifesaving care. After small chest compressions, another deputy advised turning the infant over. The deputy then delivered firm back slaps, clearing saliva from the baby’s airway and prompting him to cry.
A deputy performed small chest compressions and firm back slaps to clear saliva from the infant’s airway. (Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office)
For several tense minutes, the baby repeatedly went limp and stopped crying, forcing the deputy to continue stimulation to keep him breathing until firefighters and paramedics from the Mayer Fire Department arrived, the sheriff’s office said.
After the baby began to cry, first responders took the baby to a children’s hospital. (Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office)
The infant was rushed to a hospital in Prescott Valley for oxygen treatment and later transferred to Phoenix Children’s Hospital. Authorities later confirmed the baby has fully recovered and is back home.
The infant’s parents later told the sheriff’s office that the child has made a full recovery and is doing well. (Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office)
Sheriff David Rhodes praised the response, calling it every parent’s worst nightmare.
“This is the kind of call every parent dreads. Our deputies’ quick thinking, training, and teamwork made all the difference,” Rhodes said. “We are incredibly relieved that the baby is doing well at home.”
Officials said the incident underscores the importance of CPR training for adults, children and infants, noting that quick action can mean the difference between life and death.