DHSPD officers honored for saving drowning infant
A pair of Desert Hot Springs police officers who rescued an 8-month old boy from drowning in a bathtub were recognized with the ‘Life Saving Award’ at a city council meeting Tuesday.
The drowning happened on Sept. 29. Officers Jason Jimenez and Seth Franklin jumped into action when they received the call for help.
The officers were dispatched at 10:25 that morning to a home in the 12600 block of Parma Drive, where the infant was not breathing and had no heartbeat, according to the Desert Hot Springs Police Department.
News Channel 3 & CBS Local 2’s Lauren Coronado spoke with the baby’s mother, Elyssa Johnson, and Jimenez.
Johnson says she started doing CPR, then called police shortly after.
“When I did mouth to mouth I noticed he started breathing and then when I opened the door to scream for help the officers came within seconds,” Johnson continued.
Jimenez says he ran towards the screams when he arrived on scene.
“I saw the baby was pale. I saw the baby’s lips were blue and I saw he was limp,” Jimenez remembers, “I began doing chest compressions and after a few seconds the baby was breathing and crying.”
Franklin then put a towel underneath the child before realizing the boy had “become unresponsive again.”
Franklin picked the boy up and began talking to him and the boy began responding.
The child was taken to Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs. He has since been released from the hospital “and is doing well at home with no after effects.”
“I do give all the honor and glory to God and I thank officer Jimenez and Franklin from the bottom of my heart,” Johnson said.
Police say the emergency room doctor and responding Fire Captain Greg Roberts both credited Jimenez and Franklin with saving the infant’s life.
Johnson is encouraging parents to learn CPR in the event they are faced with a similar situation.
There are numerous location in the valley if you’d like to receive a CPR certification or recertification including:
Rancho Mirage BLS / CPR Certification and Recertification Desert Valley CPR – Cpr, CPR Certification and Re-Certification
For a list of Red Cross classes near you, click here.
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