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Life Saving Incident

September 2, 2019
California
Riverside County
Riverside

On Monday, September 2, 2019, Officer Ian Crocker was dispatched to assist the Riverside Fire Department and American Medical Response with a drowning call at an apartment complex community pool. Officer Crocker responded to the call with lights and siren. When he arrived, he went to the pool in the middle of the complex and found a mother standing over her three-year-old child, Elena, while a family friend was attempting lifesaving measures. Officer Crocker was advised the child had been pulled from the bottom of the pool minutes earlier. Officer Crocker immediately conducted an assessment of little Elena and realized she was not breathing and had no pulse. Officer Crocker then initiated lifesaving measures by administering CPR. Officer Crocker administered two cycles of CPR while waiting for medical personnel to arrive. When RFD paramedics arrived, they took over compressions while Officer Crocker continued administering breaths. Elena was moved to an AMR ambulance and transported to Riverside University Health System Medical Center in Moreno Valley as paramedics continued lifesaving measures during transport. RFD reported Elena had a pulse when she arrived at the hospital. Elena was seen by emergency room staff and was intubated for several days. Elena thankfully survived the event. A few days later, she was released from the hospital and she returned home with her family. Since the incident, Elena has made a full recovery. Riverside Fire Department Battalion Chief Bruce Vanderhorst, who responded to the call that day, reached out to the police department after the incident and said, “I cannot praise enough the officer’s actions. I am speechless by his actions in performing mouth-to-mouth CPR. I am very lucky to have my family live in this city to be protected and served by my extended family in blue. Thank you for all you do for us.”

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.