Cop Saves Choking Boy!

reznor · September 22, 2007, 7:34am

I thought I’d show a good story about a police officer since these never gut the “pub” like bad cop stories and these boards have been cop bashing lately.

Jersey City cop saves life of choking Kearny boy

By Celeste Regal
KEARNY ï¿½?? If it wasnï¿½??t for Lt. Alexander Forsythe, of the Jersey City Police Department, little Oliver Canet may not be alive today. He nearly choked to death on a large grape he swallowed whole Aug. 6 at around 8 p.m.
Jersey City Lt. Alexander Forsythe
Forsythe, who lives on Bennett Avenue across the street from the childï¿½??s family, was in his kitchen when he heard mounting and frantic commotion.

ï¿½??Then it really reached a crescendo so I looked out the window and saw the boyï¿½??s uncle standing in the doorway,ï¿½?? Forsythe said. ï¿½??He had the child under his armpit and the relatives were crying for help.ï¿½??

Forsythe knew the child was in deep trouble and time was of the essence.

ï¿½??Even from across the street I could see he was unconscious and had turned blue,ï¿½?? Forsythe said. ï¿½??I immediately ran over there to assist.ï¿½??

The uncle told Forsythe the boy choked on food. The lieutenant then took the three-year-old from his uncle and laid him down on a flat area of grass. The boyï¿½??s uncle, mother and brother were there visiting during the summer from Queens.

Oliver had no pulse, his eyes were rolled back in his head and he wasnï¿½??t breathing, Forsythe said.

ï¿½??He was unconscious and I tried a quick Heimlich maneuver (a series of under-the-diaphragm abdominal thrusts), but it didnï¿½??t work, so I reached down into his throat and cleared the airway,ï¿½?? Forsythe said. ï¿½??I hit him on the chest and got his heart started. Then I did mouth-to-mouth and CPR (Cardiopulmonary resuscitation).ï¿½??
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All this took seconds to bring the child back to life.

ï¿½??After about 30 seconds, he was blue before, the normal color returned to his face and I could tell that he was getting oxygenated ï¿½?? it was great, you know,ï¿½?? he said. ï¿½??After about another 15 seconds, he started to regain consciousness and a little bit after that he started to cry. Once they cry theyï¿½??re OK.ï¿½??

Forsythe said he gave the boy back to his mother. The police and EMS arrived within minutes and took the boy to Clara Maass where he was kept under observation for three days to check for oxygen deprivation.

ï¿½??After that, the little guy came home and everything was okydokey,ï¿½?? Forsythe said.

Recognition from Kearny police

Police Chief John Dowie sent the Jersey City Police Department a letter that Forsythe did a tremendous job during the Kearny incident. The lieutenant also received a copy of the letter.

Forsythe, 55, has been a policeman since Sept. 11, 1976.

ï¿½??Iï¿½??m deeply honored and very surprised to be considered by the Kearny police,ï¿½?? he said. ï¿½??After years on the job, you have the experience and training. Iï¿½??m just happy he made it ï¿½?? thereï¿½??s no better feeling than to save a life.ï¿½??

The Kearny Police Benevolent Association Local 24 may feel the same way, so his name was submitted to the valor committee to be evaluated at the end of the year.

ï¿½??We gave the Valor committee the nomination for Forsytheï¿½??s selfless act. Itï¿½??s up to the committee whether they will give him an award at our PBA dinner dance,ï¿½?? DÂÂÂeputy Chief James Corbett said. ï¿½??And he probably will be awarded, but I canï¿½??t speak for them.ï¿½??

The PBA valor committee meets at the end of every calendar year (December or January for valorous acts of the previous year) and reviews every job of bravery on the part of police or citizens in Kearny. They decide who will receive an award.

Last year, a Kearny postman received a citizen award because he notified police that mail was piling up at a residence. When police investigated, it turned out a woman was in the house in ï¿½??bad shapeï¿½?? and was taken to the hospital. She survived even though she was left alone and incapacitated for a few days, Corbett said.

Forsythe could receive an award as a police officer or a civilian award because he ï¿½??stepped in on his own time, or something like that,ï¿½?? Corbett said. ï¿½??I donï¿½??t know that we can award him a life-saving award in Jersey City. These are awards (the commemorative bar) that our guys wear and youï¿½??ll see them on their uniforms. I donï¿½??t know that we could do that but we can certainly give him a certificate and some type of a ï¿½??thank youï¿½?? or a citizens award because he acted as a citizen, even though heï¿½??s a police officer.ï¿½??

Corbett said if he were on the committee, Forsythe would get some type of award since he meets the criteria.

ï¿½??He did a great job and he should be commended for that. We can certainly give him an award at our dinner dance and stand up and cheer for him,ï¿½?? Corbett said.

Kearny patrolman Richard Poplaski, who was policeman of the year in 1992, has been the valor committee chairman since 1998.

He has been a member of the committee since 1993.

If ÂÂÂForsythe receives an award, it wonï¿½??t be until March at a special dinner dance and Valor Awards ceremony at the Landmark in East Rutherford, he said.