ALEXANDRIA, VA-Last month, a “frantic” call was placed to 9-1-1. A woman had just given birth at a residence on Executive Avenue, and the baby was not breathing. Officers David Hiltz and Liam Reilly woth the Alexandria Police Department responded to the scene.
Right away, their training kicked in. Unable to find a heartbeat, Hiltz began CPR while Reilly kept the family calm. Following two rounds, Hitlz found a pulse and the baby started to “fuss,” he recalled in a post on APD’s Facebook page.
“My entire focus was on making sure baby Luis was going to be okay,” said Hiltz. “It felt amazing to hear him cry. In that moment all the stress and fear of the situation just left me.”
Both Luis and his mother were transported to the hospital. After a brief stay in NICU for Luis, they both returned home and are in good health.
The two officers were praised by the EMS Lieutenant on the scene. The ER doctor also commended them for their actions. A week after the call, the officers visited the family at home.
Hiltz, who has been with APD for more than four years, said with humility, “I’m just lucky to get to go to work and do the job I love. It’s this kind of call, getting to help baby Luis and his family, that makes this job so rewarding and worth it.”
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