MUST READ: Strike officer saves baby born in neighbour’s garden
PARKHURST - A strike officer has helped in saving a baby's life.
Officer CJ Korff, a CSS Tactical Strike Team member who works in the Parkhurst area, had just arrived at his home in Blairgowrie when he was called by a neighbour in a frantic state.
The neighbour’s wife had just given birth in the garden and the husband was panicking as the baby did not seem to be breathing.
“I have a lifelong passion for assisting the communities in which I work and live,” said Korff.
“I want to make South Africa a safer place, and so I hope I can make a difference by keeping the suburbs safe and crime free.”
According to Korff, when he got to the neighbour’s wife, the baby was still attached to the umbilical cord. Using the knowledge he gained during his 16 years with the police in which time he did a paramedic’s course, he was able to cut the umbilical cord, clear the baby’s airway and get the infant breathing. He also ensured the mother was in a stable state.
He took the newborn baby and sat in a vehicle with the heater on to keep the infant warm until an ambulance arrived. Mother and baby were taken tothe hospital.
Korff added, “It is always good to help someone, especially in such a dire situation. I am just glad I was there and able to help.”
