Officers recall baby rescue after SUV rollover: “That first little cry was the sweetest sound”
By Doug Myers, Amelia Mugavero, Steven Rosenbaum
Click here for updates on this story
FORT WORTH, Texas (KTVT) — Two Fort Worth police officers on Tuesday recounted the harrowing moments when a 1-year-old girl was trapped beneath a flipped SUV last week.
In a fast-paced rescue, the officers and nearby bystanders tipped the vehicle upright, allowing life-saving aid to be performed on the child.
The crash happened early Thursday morning at Eastchase Parkway and Interstate 30, unfolding directly in the path of Sgt. Ryan Nichols and Officer Edwin Bounds. The officers hadn’t been dispatched — they were simply driving nearby when the violent rollover occurred.
A dramatic video released Friday by Fort Worth police showed the moment Nichols, Bounds and a group of bystanders rescued the baby.
Nichols performed CPR on the baby, while Bounds cleared her airway and comforted her with the same nicknames he uses for his own daughters.
“There was a vehicle on top of the baby… the odds are not in our favor,” Nichols said.
Nichols described the emotional and spiritual weight of the rescue.
“Initially walking up, it was — I hate to say it — just another accident,” Nichols said. “And then you recognize that the mom’s down… and immediately the priorities just switch.”
He recalled pulling the baby from the wreckage, believing she was dead, and praying as he began CPR.
“Just praying on the inside that the Lord was going to work the problem for us,” he said.
When the baby finally cried, Nichols said, “That baby breathed. Everybody else on the scene was able to take a breath.”
Bounds, a father of three daughters, said the experience was deeply personal.
“Nothing can really prepare you mentally for seeing a baby in that condition,” he said. “You definitely go home and hug your babies a little tighter that night.”
He described the baby’s cry as the first glimmer of hope.
“Just hearing that first little cry was the sweetest sound I could hear,” he said. “It was definitely a sound of encouragement to keep going.”
Both officers emphasized the critical role of bystanders — an estimated 20 to 30 people helped, from tending to the mother to lifting the vehicle and stopping traffic.
“You can’t move a car with two people,” Bounds said. “So without the people who stopped, it wouldn’t have ended up very well.”
He added, “There are good people in this world, and the video shows it… Without the people who stopped, it wouldn’t have ended up very well.”
Bounds visited the hospital the next morning, driven by concern and a sleepless night. He spoke with the mother and two other family members, who expressed deep gratitude to him and Sgt. Nichols.
“They all had nothing but good things and thanks and told me to tell Sergeant Nichols thank you,” he said. “From what I understand and what I’ve been told, they’re doing very well.”
Faith was a recurring theme throughout the officers’ reflections.
“Faith drives every decision we do or don’t make out here,” Nichols said. “We’re not perfect. We’re works in progress. And we need grace as much as anybody else.”
Nichols has served with the department for 19 years, while Bounds has for 15. Both said the incident ranks among the most unforgettable moments of their careers.
“Memorable? Yes. Scary? Yes. Something you don’t ever want to experience? Yes,” Nichols said.
Meanwhile, Chief Eddie Garcia thanked the motorists and residents who stepped in to help, praising the two officers as examples of the department’s best.
“These officers and their heroic actions saved this baby,” Garcia said. “They treated that baby as if it was their own. And that needed to be shared.”
He emphasized that their actions reflect the dedication of Fort Worth’s 1,800 officers and expressed hope for the baby’s full recovery.
This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting.
Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.