Video shows moment officer saves toddler choking outside Texas gas station
A viral video shows a Dallas Veterans Affairs Medical Center officer's training immediately kick in during a July 12 incident at a north-central Texas gas station, which was captured on his department-issued body camera.
The dramatic encounter took place on duty while at a Quick Trip gas station to fill up his patrol car's tank, Cpl. Lee Higginbotham told USA TODAY on Tuesday, July 22.
"Two people come running to my squad car," Higginbotham said in an on-air interview with KDFW-TV.
"At first, I did not know who was choking," the 44-year-old Army veteran told USA TODAY. "When I realized it was a child, I noticed he was turning a blueish shade."
What followed was less than a minute as the 2-year-old's family and bystanders watched what Higginbotham said the boy would later spit out − "a nickel-sized hotdog."
"He was with his grandparents at the time of the incident," the officer said. "They were relieved and happy."
Video shows Higginbotham rush to the child, beginning back blows and radioing for help.
"I immediately grabbed the child and put him in a downward position and gave him several back blows to attempt to dislodge the item," Higginbotham said.
When the back slaps did not work, the officer turned the child around and performed the Heimlich maneuver, which dislodged a piece of a hot dog.
In the footage, a crowd of his family and others surrounding the child quickly cheered.
"It was nerve-racking," the corporal told the local TV station. "I would hope that someone would do that with my child if my child was out there in danger and I wasn't there."
Watch the video at the top of this story.
Hot dogs have proven to be a serious choking hazard for young children because of their size, shape and texture, Dr. Tanya Altmann, author of 'Baby & Toddler Basics," previously told USA TODAY.
While beloved by kids, hot dogs rank at the top of lists of foods to avoid giving young children. According to The American Academy of Pediatrics, children younger than age 4 should not consume the cylindrical-shaped foods unless they are chopped into tiny pieces.
Because of their shape, hot dogs should be cut lengthwise into strips first and then cut again into smaller pieces.
Contributing: Amy Haneline
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