A toddler began choking on I-95 in Miami-Dade. Then a Florida trooper jumped into action
A Florida Highway Patrol trooper was caught on camera saving a choking toddler on Interstate-95 in Miami-Dade County this month.
The recently released dashcam video shows Trooper Reginald Mathieu arriving to a terrifying scene: Three cars pulled over on the side of the interstate, several people surrounding a family on the ground. In their arms was a 1-year-old girl, who was unconscious.
A good Samaritan had already tried to use a “LifeVac” anti-choking device on the child, but she wasn’t responding.
Mathieu didn’t waste any time. The trooper began performing back blows on the toddler until the girl regained consciousness. She was then taken to a nearby hospital as a precaution, FHP said.
This happened on the I-95 southbound lanes in the area of Southwest Seventh Street on Oct. 16.
FHP says Mathieu was responding to a crash in the area when he was flagged down by the toddler’s parents. It’s not clear how long the girl was unresponsive or what she choked on.
The video of the incident was posted by FHP on Twitter Sunday and has garnered more than 3,500 views, with people thanking the trooper and calling him a #Hero.
