Cannock police thanked for saving life of three-year-old girl who suffered cardiac arrest
Officers rushed to save the life of a three-year-old girl who had suffered cardiac arrest in Cannock Chase.
Two officers from Staffordshire Police's Cannock local policing team (LPT) have been thanked for saving the life of a three-year-old girl in the early hours of Thursday, July 10.
PC George Morrison and PC Simon Thomas were the first on the scene after emergency services received a call reporting that three-year-old Porsche had gone into cardiac arrest at an address in Chadsmoor, Cannock Chase, near Hednesford.
After administering CPR, the two officers suspected that something may have been blocking the girl's airways, so they put her onto her side while continuing the compressions.
PC Thomas said: "Going to an incident involving a child is never nice, especially one where the child is in cardiac arrest.
"At that moment, you drop everything you are doing and go to the location as fast as you possibly can. We are trained in doing CPR on children, but it's training you never hope you have to use."
While giving CPR, PC Morrison discovered that Porsche had no pulse.
As they continued the compressions, another officer, Sergeant Ben Donovan, arrived at the house with a defibrillator that had been collected from Cannock police station. PC Pete Clarke also arrived at the scene and began supporting the girl's head to free up her airways as much as possible.
PC Thomas added: "Though I began administering CPR, I was also managing feelings of nervousness, fear and an overwhelming sense of urgency.
"Despite the emotional intensity of the moment, I remained focused on giving Porsche the best possible chance of survival."
When paramedics from the West Midlands Ambulance Service arrived, Porsche finally came around after the officers managed to clear her airways.
She was taken to the hospital to be checked over, but was found to be unhurt and was later discharged.
PC Thomas said: "Being able to save a life is one of the most meaningful aspects of this role, and I am incredibly proud to have made a difference in such a critical moment."
It was later established that Porsche had suffered a seizure and had vomited, causing her airways to become blocked.
Now, the girl's dad has thanked the attending officers, telling them that they had saved his daughter's life.
Chief inspector Al Lyford, from the Cannock LPT, said: "I’m incredibly proud of the quick thinking and dedication shown by our officers in such a distressing and challenging situation.
“Officers consistently go above and beyond to protect our communities, and their commitment to local policing and safeguarding from harm is truly inspiring."
