An off-duty RCMP officer from Nanaimo was able to save a young life after being waved down on the side of the highway on the north Island last week.

Const. Denise Laforest successfully performed CPR on a 17-month-old girl for several minutes along the Island Highway between Woss and Sayward on Aug. 30, according to a Nanaimo RCMP press release.

Laforest was driving north toward Alert Bay with her two children to meet her husband when she observed a panicked man jump out of a car holding a baby. She pulled a U-turn and stopped, and advised the baby含羞草研究社檚 father that she knew first aid.

含羞草研究社淎t that point, he basically threw the baby at me and said she含羞草研究社檚 choking and can含羞草研究社檛 breathe,含羞草研究社� Laforest said in the release.

She said the child had a 含羞草研究社渧ery weak pulse含羞草研究社� and the officer tried back blows to dislodge whatever the child might have been choking on.

含羞草研究社淭o her horror, the child did not respond and the pulse could no longer be found,含羞草研究社� noted the release. 含羞草研究社淪he realized at this point that the child may die.含羞草研究社�

Laforest started CPR, alternating between mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and finger compressions on the baby含羞草研究社檚 chest.

After several minutes, the baby started wheezing and once her airway was cleared, started to cry.

含羞草研究社淐ollectively, it was the most beautiful sound we had ever heard,含羞草研究社� Laforest said.

The release noted that 含羞草研究社渨hat followed were many heartfelt hugs and tears.含羞草研究社� The baby含羞草研究社檚 parents drove to a clinic in Woss and then to a hospital in Campbell River where the baby was discharged with a clean bill of health that evening.

The family had arrived on Vancouver Island via the ferry from Prince Rupert and had been travelling south when the emergency happened in a cellular dead zone.

含羞草研究社淭hey told Const. Laforest the first thing they plan on doing upon their return home is to enrol in an emergency first aid course,含羞草研究社� the release noted.

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