Another day on the job turned into a life-saving moment for Sierra Vista police Officer Nathan Tuggle. On March 25, Officer Tuggle responded to an unconscious person call. When he arrived he was met by a mother holding her 13-month old daughter, who had fallen into the home’s pool. The mother handed Officer Tuggle her child and he began administering back blows in an attempt to clear the child’s airways. “After two or three back blows she started to vomit,” he said. “She was never fully responsive when I was on scene.” Soon after Officer Tuggle’s arrival, the fire department arrived and took the child to the hospital. Officer Tuggle said he remained on the scene for a while and later in the day drove to the hospital later that day to check on the girl. It was then he learned she was OK and would recover. “I’m just happy I was able to get there fast enough,” he said. “The mom did a great job. A lot of parents could have panicked and not do anything. Had the mother panicked and froze it could have had a different outcome.” Officer Tuggle said he hasn’t seen or spoken to the young girl since that day, but their brief encounter is something he will always remember. On April 8, 2020, Officer Tuggle was awarded the 2020 Lifesaving Award for his quick response and action to save the child’s life. Sierra Vista Police Department Chief Adam Thrasher said the last time the award was handed out was a couple years ago. “He did an outstanding job,” the chief said of Tuggle. “He was calm and did what he was supposed to do. I am very proud of him.” According to a post on the Sierra Vista Police, Fire, and EMS Facebook page “the attending (Canyon Vista Medical Center) emergency room physician stated that without the back blows Officer Tuggle delivered, which caused the child to vomit, she would have died.” In his nine years as a police officer and with the Sierra Vista Police Department, Tuggle said he hadn’t had an experience like what he saw in March before. “The most important thing obviously is the child is doing well,” Tuggle said. “I’m proud of the work I do.”