A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent saved the life of a 1-year-old boy Wednesday who stopped breathing while in line at New York City‘s John F. Kennedy International Airport, authorities said.
The agent was assisting Transportation and Security Administration agents at the airport when he responded to a medical emergency involving the child, the Department of Homeland Security said.
The boy became unresponsive in the arms of his father, DHS said. Security footage from inside the airport showed a passenger in a TSA PreCheck line holding the boy.
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The child’s arms became lifeless, sparking a panic as his father scrambled to find help.
An agent working his post heard the father’s screams and panic from passengers and rushed to the scene. He assessed the child and began performing the Heimlich maneuver, DHS said.
After a few seconds, the child started to breathe again. Responding paramedics evaluated the boy, and he was healthy enough to fly.
“This heroic officer immediately sprang into action—rushing toward the cries, taking the child, and performing a Heimlich maneuver that restored the infant’s breathing after nearly two minutes,” DHS said. “This officer’s extraordinary bravery embodies the selfless service of DHS law enforcement.”
The boy was the second child to be saved by ICE in recent weeks. On Feb. 20, a 4-year-old boy was saved by off-duty ICE agents in Massachusetts when he fell into a hotel swimming pool and almost drowned.
The agents happened to be inside a restaurant in Plymouth when they were approached by a panicked woman seeking assistance for the unresponsive child.
The agents performed CPR before paramedics arrived.
“If our agents had not been there and stepped up, this would have been a tragic outcome,” ICE said at the time. “Because of their training, these two agents were able to save a life. Our agents are truly the best of the best. Every single day they put their lives on the line to save American lives.”
