Rialto officers revive choking 3-year-old with emergency suction device
Rialto police used a LifeVac suction tool to clear a toddler's airway after his mother called 911 when he began choking on a sidewalk.
A mother driving a white SUV pulled over on the 300 block of East Foothill Boulevard on August 5 when her three-year-old son began choking. She called 911 and held the limp child on the sidewalk until Rialto police arrived. An officer fetched a LifeVac suction device from his patrol car and, together with other officers, performed repeated suction attempts while the boy lay on the pavement.
The child eventually inhaled, woke up, and was taken by the Rialto Fire Department to a nearby hospital for evaluation. Hospital footage later showed the mother cradling her son and expressing gratitude to the officers. Rialto Police Department Captain Lamont Quarker said the incident underscores the value of equipping first responders with life-saving tools and proper training.
Why it matters
It shows how equipped first responders can save lives in everyday emergencies.
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