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CENTERVILLE — A toddler was expected to survive from a near drowning thanks to the quick actions of a Centerville police officer.
About 8:50 a.m. Tuesday, a 1-year-old was flown to Primary Children's Hospital after he was found face down in a bathtub in 4 inches of water.
Officer Jason Read was the first emergency responder to arrive at the scene. He got to the house just one minute after the 911 call, said Centerville Assistant Police Chief Paul Child.
Read found the young boy lying next to a bathtub with no pulse and not breathing.
"He did what needed to be done. And in this case, I think it made a difference," Child said.
He did what needed to be done. And in this case, I think it made a difference.
–Paul Child, Centerville assistant police chief
Read immediately began CPR and got the toddler to spit out water. The officer was able to get a pulse on the child by the time paramedics arrived, according to police. The child was flown to the hospital by medical helicopter.
"As of (Wednesday) morning, the child is said to be doing much better and is expected to survive," Child said.
Read has been with Centerville police since 2005. Child says all of his officers are trained in giving infants and toddlers CPR. He said Read was "just doing his job" on Tuesday.
Police determined the boy's grandmother was giving the boy and another child a bath "when she was distracted by a phone call." The grandmother told police she was on the phone for 1-2 minutes when she came back into the bathroom and found the 1-year-old face-down in the water.
Centerville police said they determined the incident was an accident and no criminal charges are being considered.
