BROOKSVILLE, Fla. – A Florida Highway Patrol trooper helped save a choking infant’s life after being flagged down by a driver in Brooksville at the end of his shift on Sunday, according to a news release.
Trooper Billy Ortiz was ending his workday and arriving at his home when a 25-year-old Brooksville man was speeding and honking the horn of his pickup truck to get the trooper’s attention, according to the FHP.
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As the trooper exited his vehicle, the man began yelling that an 8-month-old infant was choking, according to the release.
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Ortiz attempted to assist the child, along with a passerby who identified herself as a retired nurse, but they were unable to clear the obstruction.
According to the FHP, Ortiz and the retired nurse then drove the infant to a local hospital in the trooper’s car, where medical staff were able to clear a plastic wrapper obstructing the baby’s throat.
“The Trooper’s rapid and decisive actions were credited with saving the infant’s life,” the release read in part.
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