Choking 3-year-old birthday boy saved by police, medical personnel in Placentia

Police and first responders in Placentia treated and then rushed a young boy to the hospital, likely saving his life after he stopped breathing on the evening of Tuesday, Aug. 28, authorities said.

The Placentia Police Department said in a statement it received word of a choking child and responded to the parking lot of the Stater Brothers grocery store near the intersection of Rose Drive and Imperial Highway at about 5:45 p.m. Officers arrived within minutes of the call and administered a technique referred to as “back blows” in hopes of restoring the boy’s ability to breathe, a police statement said.

An ambulance arrived shortly thereafter and the patient, along with one officer and two Brea paramedics, were driven to Placentia-Linda Hospital, according to Placentia Police Sgt. Chris Anderson.

There, the boy’s airways were cleared and he was able to breathe on his own again, according to the statement. The obstruction turned out to be a chicken nugget, and Tuesday happened to be the boy’s third birthday.

Anderson said emergency responders were concerned for the boys survival at times, but “all parties involved played a critical role in saving his life.”