Audio: Dispatcher helps save baby born unresponsive in back seat of car

Dispatcher Ryan Bancroft instructed the father how to carefully unwrap the umbilical cord, which was around the baby’s neck, and told him how to administer CPR

January 22, 2019 11:15 AM

By Scott J. Croteau
MassLive.com

SAUGUS, Mass. — A frantic call came into Saugus police dispatch Monday morning.

The man on the phone told police his wife was giving birth in their minivan. It was around 1:35 a.m. and the husband was trying to get his wife to the hospital.

The minivan was on Essex Street. And there was a problem.

When the baby boy was born, the umbilical cord was wrapped around the child’s neck.

Dispatcher Ryan Bancroft sent help to the scene as he calmly instructed the husband to help his wife, according to the 911 call released by police.

At first, the husband could see the baby’s head as he drove near the Square One Mall. Bancroft made sure the man pulled over and sent an ambulance to Essex Street.

During the call, the baby boy was born, but the baby wasn’t crying. The boy was unresponsive.

“Where’s the umbilical cord? The cord out of the belly button,” the dispatcher says. “Is the cord wrapped around the baby’s neck or anything like that?”

The cord was wrapped around the baby’s neck. Bancroft instructed the man how to carefully unwrap the cord. The dispatcher then began to give the man instructions on how to administer CPR.

Within seconds, the baby started crying.

Bancroft told the man to stop CPR and said he was doing a great job.

“You’re doing good,” Bancroft said.

A short time later, Officer Pedro Youssef located the minivan and provided care and comfort to the family until paramedics from Armstrong Ambulance Service arrived.

The family was taken by ambulance to a local hospital. The baby and mother are doing well, police said.

Interim Chief Ronald Giorgetti credited Bancroft and Officers Nicola Fabrizio and Youssef for their actions during the call.

“I want to commend our staff for their actions that assuredly helped to save this baby’s life and provided a calming presence for the family in a very hectic and scary situation. We train for situations like these, but it is rare to have a call like this and I am really thrilled to see it had a happy ending,” Giorgetti said. “I spoke to the father on Monday morning and was told that the baby and mother are healthy and doing just fine.”