You've all heard the saying before, but truly, not all heroes wear capes. I know the police can be a contentious talking point, but my goodness, if watching a cop save a toddler choking doesn't move you, I don't think anything will.
Videos by Wide Open Country
A video taken by The New York Post, and shared on Instagram, shows the heroic moment a cop in Tampa steps in to save the child's life.
There was no hesitation in this police officer's movements. He is the definition of a hero. He knew that the child had only moments before he might not still be with us. This officer let his training take over and simply saved a life.
The Heroes Jump Into Action
Yesterday in Tampa, two cops were approached by a man with what appeared to be his child. And when I say approached, it wasn't a leisurely exchange. This man rushed up to these two cops in tears. He then managed to state that the child was choking on something before the cops took over.
In the video, you can hear the aggrieved man exclaim, "He's choking, bro, he's choking," as he hands the toddler off.
The cops immediately start giving the toddler the Heimlich, setting him on the ground and giving him rapid and consistent back pats. They do not pretend that they have all the time in the world. They simply get to work.
Now I don't know about you, but there's simply no way I would be able to remain as calm as these two gentlemen were I this moment. A man has just rushed over to me with a dying toddler. I can only imagine what was going through their minds.
But again, they just responded with extreme calm. You can hear one of the cops asking the child, "Can you open your mouth?" while consistently patting his back. He made sure to verify that food was lodged in his throat and not just stuck in his mouth. Pretty professional move right there.
The Tomato Escapes!
After a minute or so of help, the cops are finally able to see the tomato come up. They recognize the child is breathing between its choked sobs, and remind the child to "spit the tomato out" once he feels it in his mouth.
Eventually, the tomato pops out, and the toddler starts crying in relief. But I guess that's just another day at the office for these two heroes.
