Quick-acting Orange County deputy saves 2-week-old choking baby: 'She's got a pulse'

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. - A two-week-old baby is safe and back home after a choking incident that unfolded last month, prompting a mother to call the Orange County Sheriff's Office to help save her daughter. 

It all happened on March 14. Orange County deputy Ben Hayden responded to an urgent call about a newborn in distress, the sheriff's office said. The baby was choking. 

When Hayden arrived, the mother was in a state of panic, holding her two-week-old baby that wasn't breathing. 

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Photo: Orange County Sheriff's Office

That's when the deputy sprung into action, giving the baby back taps to help clear her airway. 

"Cough it up," the deputy is heard saying on bodycam footage. 

Moments later, the baby started crying softly, indicating that she started to breathe again. 

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Photo: Orange County Sheriff's Office

"It looks like she's breathing," the deputy said. "She's breathing. She's got a pulse."

Paramedics arrived shortly after and took over care for the baby. 

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"Thanks to the quick action by Deputy Hayden, the baby recovered and returned home soon after," the sheriff's office said. "We're proud to have deputies like Ben Hayden serving our community."