Husband and wife policing duo save choking boy while on family holiday

A husband and wife duo who both work for West Midlands Police saved a boy from choking while on holiday in Wales.

Wayne and Michelle Vincent had been enjoying a family holiday in Barmouth, back in May last year, when they came across youngster Dexter McBain choking on the sea front.

Michelle lay Dexter over her knee, giving the four-year-old back slaps and when this didn’t work, Wayne took over and started abdominal thrusts.

On the sixth thrust, the chicken nugget flew out of Dexter’s mouth, which saved him from choking.

The now five-year-old has made a special trip to Birmingham with his dad John McBrain to present his rescuers with an award.

Speaking about the incident, Dexter's dad John McBain said: “We’d had a lovely day on the beach and Dexter was having some chicken nuggets.

“I think he got distracted by a bird or a kite because he looked up. Next minute, he was choking. 

“I don’t know first aid and so I didn't know what to do. I was trying everything. But he was going blue and he was going limp.”

Wayne, a detention escort officer at Oldbury and Michelle, an emergency response officer based at Bournville, came to his aid after seeing a commotion.

"They were both so super calm and so professional about it all. It was just awful, watching what was happening to Dexter but being powerless to do anything,” said John.

"But we won the lottery with these two passing by.

"Even though they were off-duty they didn't hesitate to help and if they'd not been there I believe Dexter would have died.

"Wayne and Michelle are family now. We owe them everything.”

Wayne said John was in panic-mode and didn't know what to do, so he stepped in and took hold of Dexter.

He said “Michelle did the back slaps but that wasn’t enough. The situation was getting worse and Dexter was losing consciousness.

“I did six chest thrusts and finally the chicken nugget came out on the sixth one.  

"The lad started to come back round quite quickly after that and my wife put him on her knee and comforted him.

"We'd learned what to do thanks to the training we've had, throughout my 14 years with West Midlands Police, and for my wife it's 15 years.

"But it's the first time I've had to use my first aid skills for anything as serious as this.

"It just goes to show that it really does work and we’re so pleased we were there and able to help." 

Dexter, who was checked over by paramedics and also by hospital staff, was none the worse.

When John found out Wayne and Michelle were receiving Royal Humane Society certificates of commendation, he asked if he and Dexter could surprise them.

So on Thursday evening, John and Dexter drove to Birmingham from their home in home in Neston, Wirral and the youngster was able to be the guest of honour at the awards ceremony.

The Royal Humane Society is a charity that gives awards for acts of bravery in the saving of human life and also for the restoration of life by resuscitation.

The society’s president is Princess Alexandra. 

Resuscitation certificates are awarded to people who have undertaken a successful resuscitation of someone, who was at one stage seemingly dead, through mouth-to-mouth resuscitation or heart-and-lung massage.