Nebraska State Patrol Trooper Christopher Richardson will receive the Nebraska State Patrol Life Saver Award for his efforts in saving the life of a premature infant.
Shortly after 4 p.m. on Dec. 2, 2009, Trooper Richardson responded to a 911 call of a baby not breathing at a residence in Otoe, Neb.
Trooper Richardson arrived at the house to find the mother waiting for him in the front yard. She hurried him into the house where the baby’s father was sitting on the couch holding the baby boy who was not breathing.
Trooper Richardson took the baby from the father and using his first aid training opened the baby’s airway. The baby spit up and began breathing and crying but with extreme difficulty. Any movement of the infant led it to stop breathing.
Trooper Richardson stayed with the infant maintaining the airway, and advised 911 to have a medical helicopter dispatched to the Syracuse hospital. Trooper Richardson carried the infant to the ambulance and stayed with the baby maintaining the airway in the ambulance on the way to the hospital.
He carried the baby into the hospital handing him over to the emergency Room doctors.
The infant was taken by medical helicopter to a Bryan LGH-East in Lincoln for treatment. As of Dec. 18, the infant was receiving treatment in the hospital’s pediatric ICU.
Trooper Richardson is a 10-year-veteran of the Nebraska State Patrol assigned to the Field Services Division in Headquarters Troop-Lincoln. The Nebraska State Patrol Life Saver Award recognizes employees who initiate efforts to preserve and protect life above, or beyond their professional duty and who’s actions directly reduced the risk of or prevented the loss of life.
