Any parent will tell you there is nothing scarier than watching your child choke. A Dallas family recently experienced that terror, but a police office in the right place at the right time saved the day. While filling up his patrol car at a QuikTrip on July 12, Dallas VA Police Department Cpl. Lee Higginbotham noticed a group of people panicking. He quickly realized why.
“Two people came running towards my squad car with the choking sign,” Higginbotham told Fox 4.
The 44-year-old Army veteran made his way to the 2-year-old boy and began “back blows,” hoping to dislodge the hot dog. When that didn’t work, he radioed for backup before starting the Heimlich maneuver. Luckily, that did the trick, and the piece of hot dog dislodged from the child’s throat.
He told USA Today the child spit out a “nickel-sized hot dog.”
“He was with his grandparents at the time of the incident,” the officer added. “They were relieved and happy.”
Bodycam footage recorded the entire ordeal, and although Higginbotham remained calm, he told Fox 4 it wasn’t easy.
“It was nerve-racking, but I was happy to be able to help him,” he said. “I would hope that someone would do that for my child if they were in danger and I wasn’t there.”
“His quick thinking and compassion truly made all the difference,” Dallas VA Police Chief Michael Dvorak shared in a release obtained by CBS News. “We’re proud to have officers like him protecting not just our VA campus and the veterans that we serve, but the whole community.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, hot dogs pose a significant choking risk to infants and toddlers.
“The way food is prepared may increase the risk of choking. For example, some foods served uncooked, whole, or in certain shapes or sizes can be choking hazards,” the CDC recommends on its website. “Cutting food into smaller pieces and mashing foods can help prevent choking.”
