Security guard helps save the life of choking child

Declan Kirk, a security officer at Boots, was with mall security guard Michael Senior when they spotted the frantic father carrying his toddler daughter.

The guards realised something was wrong and ran after the dad to Saxonbrook Medical Centre in nearby Haslett Avenue.

As they arrived, they noticed that the little girl was clearly struggling to breathe and her dad was ‘extremely distressed.’

Declan, 20, saw the little girl was quickly deteriorating as she was turning blue. He knelt down and aimed blows on her back in an attempt to clear her airway.

Thankfully, after about 30 seconds, the tot started to cough and spat up a portion of something that had been obstructing her throat, and she began to breathe again.

Meanwhile, a receptionist at the medical centre summoned two doctors at Saxonbrook and two nursing staff to assist.

The youngster was taken into a consultation room and given oxygen which stabilised her breathing.

Nurses and Declan helped support the toddler’s distraught dad until an ambulance arrived to take them to hospital.

Declan said later: “I can’t imagine a scarier thing.”

A spokesperson for Crawley and Gatwick Business Watch added: “The incident shows how the Crawley and Gatwick Business Watch members work closely together for our local community.”

And, she added:“Declan’s instinct and quick actions helped save the little girl’s life. When praised his reply was that he was ‘only doing what others would have done in the circumstances’.”