Two police officers have been praised for their swift actions after saving the life of a two-year-old girl who went into cardiac arrest - in what they describe as being ‘in the right place at exactly the right time’.

Firearms Officers Rachael Yalcin and Jonny Deschacht were on routine patrol when an urgent call came over the radio: all available officers were needed in the Durham City area, where a young child was in cardiac arrest.

Within seconds, the pair responded.

“We were two minutes away,” said Rachael, “We activated the blue lights and sirens and arrived on scene within about 45 seconds of the initial call. It was just by chance that we were so close.”

Firearms Officers Rachael Yalcin and Jonny Deschacht

The officers, part of Durham’s Police’s specialist Armed Response Team, arrived to find the toddler at the family home. The child had been unwell with sickness, diarrhoea and a chest infection before suffering a seizure that led to a cardiac arrest.

“When we arrived, she was lifeless, unconscious and not breathing,” Rachael recalled, adding: “Her heart had stopped.” 

The girl’s family were in ‘complete distress’, as the officers ran in and began CPR.

Jonny, who has 10 years of service with Durham Police, immediately began chest compressions while Rachael retrieved a defibrillator and airways.

Intense

“You go into autopilot,” said father-of-one Jonny.  “You take a moment to assess what’s happening, then you just do what needs to be done.”

Despite the emotional intensity, both officers say their training - repeated every three months - took over. For six minutes, the officers worked together to perform CPR on the tiny child.

“She was so small, so delicate,” said Rachael, whose young niece has a heart condition, which brought everything home for the police officer.  “All I was thinking was: I just need to get her heart started again.”

Then, just as paramedics arrived and began their assessment, the moment they had been fighting for came. 

“I remember paramedics running into the room telling us to ‘keep going, don’t stop’ whilst they listened to her chest and carried out their assessment,” Rachael continued.

Baby crying

“Then suddenly, a few minutes later, she slowly started to come round and eventually started to cry.

“I’ve never been so happy to hear a baby cry.”

Jonny described the relief as overwhelming.  

“When we arrived, there was no sign she was going to make it,” he said. “Then she started coughing, then breathing. Then we heard her cry, it was a huge relief.”

The child was rushed to hospital, where doctors later confirmed that the officers’ actions had been critical. An ECG showed that without their intervention, she would not have survived - but is now expected to make a full recovery.

Praise

For Jonny, a father of a 10-year-old, the incident also struck a personal chord. “You can’t help but think - what if this was my child?” he said. “But you have to put that aside and focus on the job.” 

The rescue has since drawn widespread praise online, with hundreds of messages commending the officers’ bravery and professionalism.

Louise Guest, chair of Durham Police Federation, also praised the officers’ actions. She said: “This is an outstanding example of policing at its very best. 

“Both officers demonstrated incredible professionalism, composure and teamwork in an intensely challenging situation. 

“Their quick thinking and decisive actions quite clearly saved this young child’s life, and they should be immensely proud of what they have achieved.”

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