On August 5, 2026, at approximately 12:10 p.m., the Rialto Police Department received a frantic 9-1-1 call from a mother reporting that her 3-year-old son was choking on vomit and was not breathing.
The mother was driving when she realized her son was experiencing a medical emergency. She immediately pulled her vehicle over in the 300 block of E. Foothill Boulevard and called 9-1-1 for help.
Rialto Police officers quickly arrived and located the child suffering from a life-threatening airway obstruction and unable to breathe. Recognizing the urgency of the situation, officers immediately began lifesaving efforts and utilized a LifeVac airway clearance device to clear the child’s airway.
The officers successfully cleared the obstruction and restored the child’s ability to breathe. Rialto Fire Department personnel subsequently arrived and transported the child to a local medical center for further evaluation and treatment. Fortunately, the child made a full recovery.
This incident highlights the importance of equipping first responders with lifesaving tools and providing officers with the training necessary to respond effectively during critical medical emergencies. The quick and decisive actions of the responding officers, combined with the care provided by Rialto Fire Department personnel, helped bring a terrifying situation to a positive conclusion.
The Rialto Police Department is grateful that the child made a full recovery and commends everyone involved in this lifesaving response.
WATCH THE VIDEO: Body-worn camera footage capturing the officers’ lifesaving response can be viewed on the Rialto Police Department’s Instagram page or by clicking the link below. https://www.instagram.com/reel/Db6Yk86hrLj/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
Media inquiries can be directed to Captain Lamont Quarker at (909) 841-0340.
Lamont Quarker, Captain
Public Information Officer
[email protected]
MARK P. KLING, Chief of Police
Rialto Police Department
