WARREN, Mich. (WXYZ) — A Warren police officer is being hailed a hero for saving a 12-year-old child who was not responsive and had reportedly drowned in a hotel pool over the weekend.
According to police, dispatch received a 911 call on Saturday evening from the TownPlace Suites Hotel about a non-responsive child.
Officer Brooklier was already at the hotel for an unrelated call. When he was notified of the situation, he sprinted down the hallway to the pool area.
See body cam video below:
"It's such a short amount of time, so you don't get to think what you're going to do. It's just something you react to," Brooklier said.
The child had been pulled from the pool but was not breathing, and the officer took charge of the chaotic scene. He placed the child in a rescue position and began chest compressions.
Police say Brooklier continued compressions for two minutes while coordinating with bystanders and other first responders who were on the way. He was able to revive the child as the Warren Fire Department arrived on scene.
"Once I saw him breathing, it was a sigh of relief, but I knew the mission wasn't done," Brooklier said.
The child was transported to the hospital in critical condition, then stabilized and has since been released from the hospital and is expected to make a full recovery.
"We're just grateful that he is alive and is going to continue on with life," Brooklier said.
Hear more from Officer Brooklier in the video below:
Amanda Zimmerman is the owner of Save 1 CPR in Ferndale, which offers training. She says often times the first person to notice someone who needs CPR is not a first responder.
"It's the layer rescuers. It's your friends, you family, that kind of thing," Zimmerman said.
She said it highlights the importance of learning how to perform CPR properly.
"It's a simple skill, and it's a life-saving skill," Zimmerman said.
Warren police say they're proud of the efforts that saved a young life.
"All three phases of first responders in Warren saved this child's life, and that's protecting and serving," Lt. John Gajewski with the Warren Police Department said.
