Ercolano. It is 14.30:XNUMX pm in Corso Resina when a desperate cry pierces the silence of the afternoon. A father, in tears, holds his two-year-old child in his arms: the little one is not breathing, his face is cyanotic, his arms are dangling. A heartbreaking scene, before the incredulous eyes of passers-by.
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Just at that moment, a Carabinieri marshal from the Ercolano branch is coming out of the barracks gate, ready to end his shift. But those screams leave no room for hesitation. The soldier runs toward the father and the child, while desperation grows among those present.
The little boy shows no signs of recovery. The marshal immediately tries the Heimlich maneuver, suspecting an obstruction of the airways, but without success. In the meantime, 118 is alerted, but the minutes pass and the ambulance does not arrive.
Realizing that every second is crucial, the marshal calls a colleague, also present in the barracks. Both join forces, but the child only rejects mucus and bolus, a sign that the situation is more serious than expected. There is talk of a high fever and a possible allergic reaction.
The race against time
Without wasting any more time, the two carabinieri decide to act. They get into the service car, with the father and child in the back seats. The siren is absent, but the urgency is palpable. The car speeds toward the Maresca hospital in Torre del Greco. At the wheel, the female marshal pushes the car to the max, while her colleague in the passenger seat shouts out the windows to ask for directions.
Five kilometers covered in less than three minutes. A desperate race that ends with the arrival at the first aid, where the child is immediately taken into care by doctors. After the first interventions, it is discovered that the little one has been affected by a severe allergic reaction and is transferred to the Santobono of Naples for further treatment.
The happy ending
The following hours will be of anguish for the family, but relief comes: the child is safe and out of danger. The credit goes to the promptness and courage of the two marshals, who did not hesitate to intervene with professionalism and determination.
“You are angels,” the father repeated through tears, holding the rescuers’ hands. Of that afternoon on Corso Resina, only the memory of fear remains, and above all, gratitude for an intervention that made the difference between life and death.
Article published on 12 December 2024 - 06:37
It's amazing how in situations like this you see the true value of law enforcement. However, I wonder if there was a better way to ensure that ambulances arrive faster in such serious emergencies, because every second counts.