Fort Worth, Texas — A child is expected to make a full recovery after being pulled from under a car that overturned during an accident, authorities said Friday after releasing a dramatic video showing rescue efforts along a busy highway.
Officers responded to the scene Thursday morning after receiving reports that the child and mother had been removed from the vehicle.
Body camera footage shared by the Fort Worth Police Department on Friday on social media shows an officer running toward the overturned car and beginning to search for the child while a distraught woman can be heard in the background screaming for her child.
The officer mobilized other motorists who had stopped at the scene to help him lift the car.
The officer tells them, “Down here, we need to move the car,” thinking the child is stuck underneath.
“Keep moving, keep moving,” the officer urges them as the car is jacked up enough so he can grab the child’s leg and pull her to safety.
The child was unresponsive, but an officer said he felt a pulse. They tried to make the child breathe, and one of the officers used his fingers to press on the child’s chest. The baby eventually started making noises and then started crying.
Police said the mother and child are expected to make a full recovery.
“Although this video may be very difficult to watch, it is an important example of the types of situations our police officers may encounter in the performance of their duties,” the department said in its post.
In a social media post, Police Chief Eddie Garcia referred to the child as a “little angel” and praised officers for their heroism. The administration also thanked the citizens who stopped to help in the rescue operation.