Hartford Officer Recognized For Saving Life of Choking, Unconscious Child

HARTFORD, CT - A Hartford police officer is being credited with saving the life of a one-year-old child choking on cereal and the officer's heroic actions are not going unnoticed, according to police.

The incident occurred Dec. 13 around 3:09 p.m. when Officer Jill Kidik responded to a home on Mary Shepard Place regarding the report of the child who was not breathing and unresponsive. According to police, Officer Kidik was immediately approached by a frantic woman who carried the child towards her.

Officer Kidik determined that the child was not breathing and that he was cyanotic and his eyes had “rolled” toward the back of his head, police said. The child was fully unconscious and entirely unresponsive.

The officer determined that the child had choked on cereal and had lapsed into unconsciousness. Family members' efforts administer CPR and other lifesaving measures proved futile.

"Without hesitation and fully realizing that time was of the essence, Officer Kidik, alone and without assistance of any emergency personnel, took hold of the youngster and proceeded to employ emergency first aid measures," police said in a statement. "After first attempting to clear the child’s mouth of potential obstructions and then administering CPR, Officer Kidik was met without success."

Kidik then sat the child up and proceeded with “Heimlich” type maneuvers in the hope that whatever created the breathing obstruction could be dislodged. After doing this for approximately one minute, the child began to scream, cough and slowly start to breathe on his own.

Ambulance and Hartford Fire Department personnel arrived on the scene and transported the child to the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center for evaluation and further treatment. The child was ultimately admitted to the hospital but is expected to fully recover.

"Without a doubt, had Officer Kidik not taken the action that she did, the young child would have certainly not survived," police said in a statement.

Hartford police called Officer Kidik’s action, "an example of some of the truly heroic things so many of Hartford’s finest do on a regular basis."

Officer Kidik has been presented with the Hartford Police Department’s Lifesaving Award.

Image courtesy Hartford Police