NJ Police Save Breastfeeding Baby From Choking

MONTCLAIR, NJ — When all was said and done, they acted with professionalism and compassion, and followed their training. And that’s how a group of Montclair police officers helped to rescue a 6-day-old infant after he choked on breast milk, authorities said Wednesday.

According to the Montclair Police Department, the harrowing encounter began when officers arrived at a Nishuane Road home around 10 p.m. on Oct. 14 after getting a 911 call from his “frantic” parents, Jorkell Echeverria and Lynette Rente.

Rente later told police that she was breast-feeding baby Diego, when he began to choke on the milk and stopped breathing. The infant then began to turn a dark color, and his parents called for help.

Here’s what happened after officers Kevin Ortiz, Matthew Dobrowolski and Sean Verbist arrived at the home, authorities said:

“Officer Ortiz took hold of Diego from his frantic parents and determined that his airway was obstructed. Ortiz flipped Diego over and began giving back blows. After approximately 10 to 15 back blows, Diego vomited the obstruction and began crying. Officer Verbist arrived on scene and assisted by setting up and providing oxygen to Diego, while officer Ortiz continued to hold Diego and keep him alert.”

Eventually, the infant started to return to a natural coloring. An ambulance unit arrived on scene a short time later and transported Diego to a nearby hospital as a precautionary measure.

After the danger had passed, Echeverria and Rente penned a heartfelt letter of thanks to the officers and ambulance crew. It read:

“My family and I are eternally grateful for the assistance of Montclair police on the evening of October 14 when our 6-day old son was in distress. Officer Ortiz, and his fellow officers were at our home within minutes of our 911 call. Officer’s Ortiz immediately rushed in and began CPR on Diego. His quick efforts relieved Diego's distress and our anxiety when we finally heard Diego's loud cries. Officer Ortiz even followed up the next week with a teddy bear in hand to check in on Diego and our family. Thankfully, this was a one-time incident, Diego is now growing big and strong. Thank you, does not seem sufficient to express our gratitude for the assistance of officers Ortiz, Verbist, Dobrowolski and the emergency personnel that quickly arrived at our home on October 14, 2021. Our family is eternally grateful for the assistance of officer Ortiz, the Montclair police and fellow emergency personnel.”

But according to Montclair Police Chief Todd Conforti and Deputy Chief Wil Young, a thank-you is never expected.

“We could not be prouder of the work done by our officers every day,” Conforti and Young said. “We have a job to do for the people of Montclair.”

“We appreciate this beautiful family reaching out, as these officers did a great thing that evening,” Conforti and Young added. “We are blessed to be able to do what we do.”

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