Authorities Rush to Save Infant Who Stopped Breathing Inside Oregon Mall

Authorities in Oregon rushed to give an infant life-saving CPR after the child stopped breathing in a local mall. 

The harrowing situation unfolded on Sept. 22 as a young couple took their week-old baby to a J.C. Penney portrait studio for her first photo shoot. 

But the family tradition suddenly turned into life-or-death drama as the infant, Audrey Harmon, suddenly stopped breathing. 

The little girl's parents, Kaylob Harmon and Jessie Siefer, rushed to get help for their baby. 

The father was caught on surveillance video trying to start infant CPR as bystanders come to their aid.

The shocked mom called 911 and was given instructions on how to give mouth-to-mouth resuscitation until police arrived. 

Rushing into the store, deputies from the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office performed chest compressions as other officers worked to unblock the baby's airwaves.

“Honestly, I thought the baby had passed away already,” Deputy Jonathan Zacharkiw, who did the chest compressions, told Inside Edition. "It was the most upsetting thing I had ever seen in this job."

Within minutes, fire department rescue crews arrived and continued CPR, and the infant began breathing again. 

Audrey was rushed to the hospital and placed in intensive care.

CPR on an infant is very specific and is somewhat different than the method performed on an adult, first aid expert Shane Woodall said.   

First, make sure the baby is on a hard, flat surface.

"You immediately begin pushing hard and fast all the way down until EMTs arrive on the scene,” he said. 

After 30 chest presses comes another key procedure. 

“You want to give two breaths – cover the baby's nose and mouth and blow in gently,” he said. 

Then, you go back to chest compressions.

Audrey is still recovering in the hospital and the officers who came to her rescue recently stopped by to visit her.

“One thing that has come out of this is that we have been reminded over and over how good people can be,” the mother told Inside Edition. 

The family has created a GoFundMe account to help pay Audrey's medical expenses. 

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