Two agents from the Operational Resources Area of the Mossos d'Esquadra saved the life of a 2-year-old girl from Lleida who was drowning last December in the Bruc service area, where the police officers were having breakfast when the emergency occurred.
The performance was recognized yesterday with the awarding of a medal during the Day of the Squads of Central Catalonia. The two mossos intervened immediately after a man burst in asking for help because, as he shouted, his daughter was dying.
"A man entered shouting that his daughter was dying and the whole team quickly went out to see what was happening" - ARRO agent, Mossos d'Esquadra
Immediate intervention in the Bruc service area
One of the agents took the little girl when her mother handed her over in her arms. The girl was in a very delicate state and barely reacted.
"He was almost unconscious, with purple lips. At that moment, everything we had been taught came out and I started to perform the Heimlich maneuver, hitting him on the back" - ARRO agent, Mossos d'Esquadra
The second mosso immediately joined the maneuver. He knelt down to check if he was expelling what was blocking his breathing. Shortly after, the first sign of relief arrived.
"Right away my partner came and knelt down to see what was obstructing him, until I noticed on my arm that his belly was swelling, because he took a breath" - ARRO agent, Mossos d'Esquadra
The other agent later specified that the little girl had a lot of mucus obstructing her airways. The reaction of the mossos allowed the girl to breathe again while the rest of the team activated healthcare assistance and attended to the family members.
"They were seconds, but to me it felt like an eternity," both police officers explained when recalling that moment.
Recognition for a Shared Performance
The two agents underlined that the medal distinguishes their direct intervention, but insisted that the response was collective. While they attended to the minor, other colleagues called the ambulance and took care of the family in a situation of anguish.
"It was a team effort and we are all very proud", the mossos remarked after receiving the recognition at the celebration of the Day of the Esquadres of Central Catalonia.
Reunion with family in Lleida
A few days ago, the agents saw the family again in Lleida. The meeting allowed them to check the girl's evolution several months after the episode that occurred in El Bruc.
"It was a very exciting moment, seeing the girl so happy and smiling, especially after how she was the last time we had seen her" - agents of ARRO, Mossos d'Esquadra
During that reunion, the parents conveyed their gratitude for an action that proved decisive. One of the mossos admitted that he had never experienced a similar situation and expressed his wish that it would not happen again, although he defended that, as police officers, it is one of the most important services they can provide. His colleague summarized it with a brief phrase. "Saving a life is not done every day".
The recognition for this intervention comes a few days before a new institutional event, as next Thursday will be the Dia de les Esquadres in Lleida and La Seu d'Urgell, in a context marked by the memory of an action that the agents themselves continue to define as one of the most intense moments of their careers.