TMSG: TSA Agent Jumps Over Conveyor Belt to Save Choking Infant

Cecilia Morales had been on the job as a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officer less than two months when she jumped in to save someone’s life.

While working at a security point screening carry-on luggage, Morales heard cries for help and saw a distressed mother holding her non-responsive newborn. Morales told TODAY Parents that her initial reaction was to have the mother turn the baby around over the conveyer rollers and show her how to pat the baby on their back, but ultimately decided to jump over the conveyer belt to perform the Heimlich herself.

Morales is a trained EMT with over 10 years of experience so it didn’t take her long to realize the baby needed her help. She performed the Heimlich maneuver on the infant, sharing that it took two attempts to clear the blockage from the baby’s throat. Morales shared“When he started crying that felt the best, because that’s when I knew that his airway was open and his lungs were working. So I was happy.”