STERLING HEIGHTS (WWJ) - Sterling Heights first responders were awarded for saving the life of a young child that stopped breathing at a local store.
Sterling Heights Officer Potts arrived at Dream Dollar, a store near 15 Mile and Ryan Road, around 3:30 p.m. on Feb. 19. A call to 911 reported that an 18-month-old child in the store wasn’t breathing.
In body camera footage posted on the Sterling Heights Police Department’s Facebook, Potts is seen checking for the child’s pulse. After not finding one, he began chest compressions. He can be heard saying “come on buddy” to the child while performing CPR.
Potts continued to perform CPR until members of the Sterling Heights Fire Department arrived. The Fire Department took over chest compressions and transported the child to Corewell Health Hospital.
Doctors said the quick actions taken by Potts saved the child’s life.
Potts and the Fire Department members were given awards at 7 a.m. Friday. The awards were presented by Corewell Health and Macomb County EMS Medical Control Authority.
WWJ’s Mike Campbell spoke to Potts about the incident.
“Honestly, when you show up you’re hoping for the best case scenario,” Potts said. “You’re hoping that they are breathing and maybe there’s just a medical condition that needs to be addressed. Unfortunately in this situation, once you see what is happening, it really is just so fast. I could barely remember it. You just rely on that training and just go right into what needs to be done before the Fire Department gets there to give him the best treatment possible.”
Potts said the situation is one that “when you go home at night, you feel really good about your job and why you wouldn’t want to be doing anything else in the world.”
The family and Potts haven’t spoken since the incident, but Potts said he would love to see them if there was an opportunity.
Authorities say the child made a full recovery.