A Transportation Security Administration agent - on the job for just two months but backed with 10 years' experience as an emergency medical technician - is being hailed as a hero after saving the life of a two-month-old baby.
The incident happened earlier this week at Newark-Liberty International Airport.
According to the TSA, a mother traveling with her infant boy was about to go through a security checkpoint at Newark. She took the child out of his car-seat carrier to hold him as she walked through the metal detector when she realized the baby wasn't breathing.
The mother screamed for help and TSA Agent Cecilia Morales began shouting instructions to the woman. Morales then realized the mother was in shock and her instincts as an EMT took over.
Morales literally climbed over the luggage conveyor belt at the security checkpoint and took over.
"I knew if I didn't get over there, it wasn't going to be a good outcome," Morales said. "I jumped over the checkpoint conveyor belt rollers and she gave me the baby. I performed the infant Heimlich maneuver on him."
Morales twice patted the baby boy on his back; the second time was the charm as the infant began breathing on his own. He was later given oxygen by airport EMTs.
"I saw the video afterward," Morales said. "It was the first time I've ever seen myself in action, saving a life. It was mind-blowing to watch. I felt that my training and experience just took over."
Here's a portion of the video on Fox5 New York:
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