Authorities Release Video Of Harrowing Rescue Of Baby Who Stopped Breathing

December 21, 2021

The officer performing CPR on the baby.
Credit: Bucks County District Attorney’s Office

As LevittownNow.com reported in late November, Tullytown Borough police Officer Nate Aldsworth rushed into action and saved the life of a baby who stopped breathing.

On Tuesday, the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office released body camera footage of the incident that happened off Main Street and an interview between District Attorney Matt Weintraub and Aldsworth, who has been on the small-town police force since 2004.

“It was probably the most fulfilling moment of my life,” Aldsworth said in the video. “This is really why you get into the job.”

The 4-day-old baby was tended to by the Levittown-Fairless Hills Rescue Squad and taken to regional hospitals for further care.

The baby is recovering from seizures that caused him to stop breathing and has returned home, Aldsworth said.

From the district attorney’s office:

Aldsworth had just finished a call when he got a distressing call around 10:58 a.m. on Nov. 24, the day before Thanksgiving.

A 4-to-5-day old baby boy had stopped breathing, possibly from an obstructed airway. Officer Aldsworth raced to the scene, finding baby Zachary in the living room with his distraught mother. The boy was blue and did not appear to be breathing, so Aldsworth’s years of training as an officer kicked in.

First, Officer Aldsworth checked for any choking and performed a back thrust in case the baby had an obstruction, but nothing came up. He then immediately started CPR and a short time later, baby Zachary was breathing and opened his eyes.

Officer Aldsworth continued CPR until the Levittown-Fairless Hills Rescue Squad arrived to take the baby to the hospital.

Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center offers the following instructions for giving CPR to an infant:

You Arrive on the Scene

Check the scene for safety. Check the infant for consciousness. Gently tap the shoulder or flick the bottom of the heel and shout.

No Response

Call 911 immediately.

If the infant is on his or her stomach, turn the infant over onto his or her back. The infant should be lying on a hard flat surface.

Check for Breathing and Signs of Life

Watch the chest for any normal movement. Look for signs of life and breathing for no more than 10 seconds.

No Breathing or Signs of Life

Begin CPR

a. Position two or three fingers on the center of the infant’s breastbone, just below the nipple line.

b. Compress the chest 1½ inches in depth 30 times.

c. After giving compressions, give breaths. Tilt the infant’s head back, slightly, using one hand on the forehead and lifting up on the infant’s chin with two fingers of your other hand. Cover both the infant’s nose and mouth with your mouth and give two small, slow breaths, watching for the infant’s chest to rise.

d. Continue with 30 compressions / two breathes, 30 compressions / two breathes, etc.