Police Officer Saves Choking 2-Year-Old

As Carlos Barrios explained, it was the first time he’d ever performed the Heimlich maneuver, but it was a lifesaver.

The Los Angeles Police Department officer was en route to another call Monday night with partner Jason Hough when they were flagged down about 8 p.m. by two frantic parents near Wilbur Avenue and Vanowen Street.

The couple’s 2-year-old son was unconscious and struggling for breath after swallowing a piece of hard candy while the family was driving, Barrios said.

After requesting an ambulance, Barrios took the boy from his father’s arms and began a modified version of the Heimlich maneuver.

“It took a couple of thrusts,” Barrios said, but within a few minutes he was able to dislodge the item from the toddler’s throat.

Soon after, the child started crying.

“That was good to hear,” he said.

A two-year member of the LAPD, Barrios said he’d never performed the rescue technique before and had to adapt it to the boy’s small frame while his anxious parents looked on.

“I didn’t really think much of it,” he said of his heroics.

“I’m glad I was able to stay calm.”

The boy was taken to Northridge Hospital Medical Center, where he was released after a brief examination, Barrios said.