A police officer of Kansas City received a public award last Thursday, March 27 for his extraordinary actions by saving two small girls who were being drowned by their own mother.
Officer Eric Ibáñez, who received a standing ovation on the night of Thursday during the annual ceremony of the Kansas Police Department, answered a call for help which said that a mother had drowned her two small girls; hoewever, when he arrived at the place he faced one of the toughest scenes he's had to face in 11 years in the force.
According to CNN affiliate KTLA 5, officer Ibáñez found the two girls, one age 4 and the other barely 20 months old, soaked next to their mother, Johnna Marie Green, 24, and immediatelly tried to help the girls, even though he did not have much experience in reviving children.
When rescue teams arrived to help the officer, the two girls still had trouble breathing and after being assisted with CPR, expectations for the survival of the 20 months old girl were scarse.
However, Ibáñez' work during the most critical moments was fundamental for both girls to survive the terrible experience.
"I ran to them and did what I could. I'm not familiarized with CPR for babies and kids, but I did my best for them," Ibáñez told KTLA 5.
After receiving assistance from the officer and paramedics, the sisters were transported to a nearby hospital, where they made a full recovery.
"My objective was to help the girls. I'm very happy they pulled through. It didn't seem at the time everything was going to be ok," the officer said regarding the difficult situation he faced.
The annual celebration of the Kansas City Police Department honors police officers and citizens who have made actions which stand out for their bravery.
You can watch the video on this link KCTV5.