A Waynesboro police sergeant is being heralded as a hero after newly released video showed him stepping in to save an infant’s life.
The incident was part of Waynesboro Police Department Sgt. Harold Drummond being at the right place at the right time, as he was only a few hours into his shift that night in January.
» RELATED: Off-duty Duluth officer performs CPR on drowning child, saves his life
"I was scanning, which means I can listen to other agencies on the radio," he told The True Citizen. "On that particular night, EMS put out a distress call that there was an unresponsive child on its way into Burke County."
“I knew I was a little bit closer and advised our dispatcher to show me en route in case I could assist until EMS arrived,” said Drummond, who was a few miles away from the Dollar General where 6-month-old AJ, his twin sister, aunt, father and mother had stopped after discovering the infant wasn’t breathing.
Drummond recalled the family was “in panic mode” as they got out of the SUV. Bodycam footage showed AJ’s mother, Angel Collins, pass her child to Drummond. The sergeant placed AJ on the hood of his cruiser and used his fingers to perform CPR.
» RELATED: WATCH: Bodycam video shows Marietta officer saving baby's life
He told WRDW "I would prefer to look down the barrel of a gun than to look down at a baby in distress."
Ten days after the incident, Drummond properly met AJ, who prior to the live-saving rescue had been getting treatment at the Children's Hospital of Georgia after he and his twin were diagnosed with Respiratory Syncytial Virus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says RSV is a common respiratory virus that can cause cold-like symptoms and can be serious in infants.
The infant’s mother told WRDW, “Words can't describe how grateful and thankful we are.”
About the Author
