Long Island Police Officers Save Newborn Choking On Umbilical Cord

UNIONDALE, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- A newborn baby girl is alive and healthy thanks to the help of three police officers on Long Island.

Kenia Arias, 32, called 911 after she went into labor around 1:30 p.m. Monday -- two weeks early -- in her home on Henry Street in Uniondale.

When officers found out her water broke, they knew the baby was coming fast.

"When we showed up. The woman was in a lot of pain," Officer Nicholas Dux said. "She was going into labor quick so we had to get her to the hospital as quickly as possible."

This wasn't exactly in their training, but the officers say instinct took over, even when baby Alish started coming out in the back of the ambulance, with the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck, CBS2's Ali Bauman reported.

"The head came halfway out," police medic Brian Matthews said. "We saw the cord around its neck. We just tried to get Mom to push. We must have told her to push 200 times.

"It just went fast and luckily the baby came out far enough to get the cord off its neck, and it was blue when it came out, and we had to help with the breathing," Matthews said.

"You don't have time to think about," Matthews said. "You just do what you gotta do. And we got the baby out and cut the cord and got the baby breathing on its own."

The officers said the baby came out just as they were pulling into Nassau University Medical Center, where they were able to immediately get all the resources they needed.

Now, doctors say Alish, who is 8 pounds, 12 ounces, is doing just fine.

"I'm feeling good," Officer Darnell White said. "I'm happy the baby's healthy. That's all that matters."

Arias and her baby were reunited with the officers Tuesday.

"It's excellent to see them. They're my heroes," she said.

"I'm very grateful with God, with them and God as well, because they helped me during this time," Arias said.

The officers were granted citations of recognition.

This is Arias' second child, but she said nothing could have prepared her for the difficult labor. Alish is expected to head home with her mother in the coming days.