A school bus driver saved a little boy’s life after he started choking on a coin on the way to school.
Raquel Radford Baker, 38, – called “Miss Rocky” by her schoolchildren – works as a bus driver for Seagoville North Elementary School in Dallas, Texas.
Preston Bell, 7, was riding to school on Radford Baker’s bus when he was caught on surveillance footage laughing with his friends before putting something in his mouth.
The seven-year-old began choking and ran to his bus driver – who had just driven to the school to be dropped off – and appeared to have trouble breathing.
Radford Baker’s survival instincts kicked in and the CPR-trained military veteran was able to get the little boy out of the bus and perform the Heimlich maneuver multiple times to save Preston’s life.
A school bus driver saved a little boy’s life after he started choking on a coin on the way to school (photo: Raquel Radford Baker, bus driver, with Preston Bell, 7, and his mother Gia Bell)
Raquel Radford Baker, 38 years old, nicknamed ‘Miss Rocky’ by her schoolchildren, works as a bus driver for Seagoville North Elementary School in Dallas, Texas (photo with student Preston Bell)
The bus driver — who said the children riding on her bus are her “babies” — has been in the transportation industry for 17 years but has never needed CPR before.
“He looked like he was sick, like he was going to throw up, I opened the door and said go ahead and throw up,” Radford Baker said. Good morning America. “He turned back to me and it looked like he was having trouble breathing.”
She said: ‘He can’t die in my arms, I have to save his life.’
“All the time I say, ‘Honey, breathe.’ I have got you. Breathe,” she continued.
Preston was limp and blue in the face.
Fortunately, Radford-Baker remained calm during her rescue efforts. She saw a parent and asked her to call 911.
Radford Baker needed another bus driver to make deliveries that day, but she was in the right place at the right time.
Preston and his mother, Gia Bell, were reunited with their “hero” to thank her.
“I was able to look into her eyes and tell her how much I thank her for saving my son’s life,” Bell said.
Preston and his mother, Gia Bell, got the chance to meet their hero. “I was able to look into her eyes and tell her how much I thank her for saving my son’s life,” Bell said.
The bus driver — who said the children riding on her bus are her “babies” — has been in the transportation industry for 17 years but has never needed CPR before
Radford Baker said: “He appeared to be sick, like he was going to throw up. I opened the door and said go ahead and throw up. He turned back to me and it looked like he was having trouble breathing.”
Radford Baker, mother of three, said: “She was so grateful, thankful – it was just a relief. I put myself in her shoes and said I could only imagine how she felt.” Her supervisors rewarded her at work on Friday with prizes for her heroism
Preston said, “I think she’s my hero because she saved my life. I see her at the bus stop, where she always picks me up. She’s an angel.’
Radford Baker, mother of three, said: “She was so grateful, thankful – it was just a relief. I put myself in her shoes and said I could only imagine how she felt.”
Her supervisors rewarded her at work on Friday with prizes for her heroism, CBS reported.
She said, “I feel like God put me there for a reason… I mean, if I wasn’t there, I don’t know what the other driver did.”