SPOKANE — A Spokane County sheriff’s deputy saved a newborn’s life Friday by clearing her airway and performing CPR until paramedics arrived on the scene.
Deputy Randy Watts was near the 1200 block of South Fox Road when he heard a 1:38 a.m. call that a woman had delivered a baby who was not breathing.
When Watts arrived, the father met him at the door, taking Watts to the bathroom where the mother had just delivered a baby girl with the help of a midwife. The infant was purple, not breathing and didn’t have a pulse, a news release from the sheriff’s office said.
Watts performed rescue breathing and chest compressions, but realized the baby’s airway was blocked with mucus. Watts placed her on his forearm and started back strikes until she spit up a large amount of fluid from her nose and mouth. Once the fluid was discharged, the rescue breaths became more effective.
