Uxbridge officer saves baby who stopped breathing
By John Krinjak
Email: jkrinjak@abc6.com
Twitter: @johnkrinjakABC6
UXBRIDGE, Mass. (WLNE) — Officer Kyle Tripp says it feels amazing to hold a now-healthy Ashlynn in his arms.
"It’s great to see her with color and her eyes are open and it’s great. It’s really rewarding," said Tripp.
But last Thursday, it was a very different story.
Dispatchers got a call from an Uxbridge home, saying the three-week-old wasn’t breathing.
The baby’s grandmother decided to drive her to the fire department, as police were already en route to the house.
"I got the description of the vehicle from dispatch. They had their blinkers on, the windshield wipers on and it wasn’t raining. I knew this was the car I was looking for," said Tripp.
Officer Tripp pulled over on High Street. The grandmother handed little Ashlynn to him through the window.
"I recognized that her airway was blocked, so I decided to turn her over, deliver a few back blows," said Tripp. To hear that cry in that moment, that was a big sign of relief for us, because we knew then that she was breathing and she was going to be okay."
Officer Bill Ethier was on scene as well, and helped make sure Ashlynn was all right.
"I’m going to be a first time father in February, so my heart started racing and pounding, when you hear that it’s an infant," said Ethier.
EMTs arrived and gave Ashlynn further treatment.
The newborn is now doing just fine, giving the entire department a much-needed boost.
"Around the holidays it’s nice to be able to go home and tell your family we did something positive," said Lourie.
Tripp says he doesn’t have any children of his own, but here with little Ashlynn he looks like a natural.
"I don’t, no. If my wife heard you say that she’d be real excited, though," said Tripp.
Ashlynn’s parents didn’t want to speak on camera, but say they are very grateful to Officer Tripp and all the emergency responders who helped.
Tripp says he hopes that he and little Ashlynn can stay in touch.
© WLNE-TV / ABC6 2017
