A recent event at Rikers Island took a chilling turn when an infant began to choke on a chip, prompting local law enforcement officials to leap into action and save the child’s life. The incident occurred around 7:40 p.m. Sunday in one of the jail’s visitation areas, where the baby’s mother, Savanah Webb, had just finished visiting an inmate.
One correction officer noticed the child struggling and immediately tried the Heimlich maneuver to dislodge the object blocking the child’s airway. When that failed, Correction Officer Santos Barbosa Jr., a 41-year veteran of the force who had previously worked for a private ambulance company for three years, rushed to the scene and began administering CPR compressions. Unfortunately, this attempt also proved unsuccessful.
At that point, Barbosa decided to perform a finger sweep, but he too failed to dislodge the chip. As time ticked away, the situation grew increasingly dire, so Barbosa decided to try one final tactic: He pushed his pinky down into the child’s throat even farther, until he felt the chip move.
The baby started to wheeze, which told me air was moving in and out,” he explained. Then Demyri spit up, and I knew the child was in the clear.” Barbosa performed a final set of compressions just to be sure, at which point the baby began crying.
Correction Officer Anouk McQueen, who has been on the job for 17 years, stayed with the baby until an ambulance arrived to transport him and his mother to a hospital.
I really don’t get nervous or emotional, but I’m a little teary-eyed,” Barbosa admitted when recalling the event. In addition to Aisha Stanislaus and Santos Barbosa, Anouk McQueen also remained by the baby’s side until help arrived.
The officers involved in this life-saving effort have received praise from their colleagues, including Corrections Officers’ Benevolent Association President Benny Boscio. He noted that “Correction Officer Barbosa’s quick thinking and life-saving efforts to save the life of a 1-year-old baby, who was choking and in medical distress, embodies the very best qualities of our essential work force.
Corrections Commissioner Lynelle Maginley-Liddie also praised the officers, calling them “shining examples of what it means to be a DOC hero.
As for the baby’s mother, she expressed her gratitude to the quick-thinking officers who saved her child’s life. I was very grateful,” she said. They were very good, fast, and got the situation under control.” The infant is now back home, laughing and singing as if nothing happened.
