Life Saving Incident
June 2019
California
Santa Barbara County
Santa Maria
In June 2019, Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Detective Christopher MacAuley was working patrol from the Santa Maria Sheriff's Substation. While on patrol Detective MacAuley was flagged down by a distraught father who was carrying his limp one-year-old child. Detective MacAuley quickly assessed the child and determined he was unconscious and not breathing. Using his first responder training, Detective MacAuley administered back blows, chest compressions and finger sweep dislodging a small piece of plastic the child had ingested. Detective MacAuley's timely actions restored the child's ability to breathe and allowed the child to quickly recover. The Sheriff's Office said his actions were instrumental in saving the child's life. Detective MacAuley later remarked that he had never seen a look as horrifying as the face of the father when he handed him his child.
The history of law enforcement in the United States is a long and wonderful history of bravery. This website is dedicated to documenting the heroic deeds of law enforcement officers throughout the United States who have either given or risked their lives to save others. There are many stories of bravery and heroism for many who are considered first responders. However, it is those in law enforcement who are most likely to be the first to arrive upon a location requiring life saving acts engaging dangerous hostage takers, running into burning buildings/vehicles, providing first aid to seriously injured victims, saving near drowning victims and much more are what the women and men of law enforcement do routinely and at many times, great peril to their own safety.
It is our mission to document the history of lives saved by those dedicated women and men in law enforcement. To share with others the dramatic deeds of those individuals who are the first, first responders. It is so important for our citizens to understand that law "enforcement" is not always about enforcing the law but rather being there when our citizens need us.
It is to this end we are dedicated to promoting documentation regarding the history of law enforcement and the lives they have saved.
