Vila do Bispo firefighters are enjoying a different kind of glory this week after saving the life of an 11-month-old baby no less than three times last Sunday.
Little Vivian stopped breathing after choking on food. Her father Paulo rushed her into the fire station – having the extraordinary presence of mind to keep up mouth-to-mouth respiration until he reached help.
This was “very important”, firefighters Sandra Mateus and Roberto Diogo have explained.
“When she arrived at the station, she was in ventilatory arrest (she was not breathing)”, Mateus, 39, told Correio da Manhã. “We managed to get her back, but then when we were taking her in to Portimão Hospital she had two more arrests which we also managed to revert with the support of the INEM (medical emergency) team”.
By the time Vivian reached Portimão, she was stable – which is more than could be said for the nerves of all involved.
“We were incredibly nervous”, admitted Rodrigo, 31. “It was very emotional, as we are also parents.
“We are just delighted everything went well”.
Said Vivian’s traumatised but relieved father: “It was a huge shock, but everything’s all right now”.
