Driver who saved choking baby after mother asked for help on the street says he used the maneuver for the first time: 'I learned it when I was 16'

Driver saves choking baby after mother asks for help in the middle of the street in Botucatu The driver who saved a choking baby aged 1 year and 7 months after her mother asked for help in the middle of the street, in Botucatu (SP), told g1 that he used the choking maneuver for the first time during the rescue. Carlos Eduardo Barbosa, known as Kadu, is 25 years old and said he learned the technique as a teenager, at 16, but had never needed to put his knowledge into practice. ? Join the g1 Bauru and Marília channel on WhatsApp "I learned it when I was 16 years old and was a minor apprentice at Senac. It was the first time I performed the maneuver, but something I learned years ago I don't forget like that", he said. The case happened on Wednesday (29), at Jardim Aeroporto. The scene was recorded by a security camera and shows the man performing the choking maneuver, which made the child expel an earring. (See the video above). Carlos said he was leaving home to go to the cinema when he saw the child's mother asking for help on the street. Upon realizing the situation, he stopped the vehicle and ran to help. "The moment she asked for help, I ran out to get rid of it. I managed to remain calm because, in a situation like this, being nervous only makes it worse," he said. READ ALSO VIDEO: Highway police officer saves baby choking on milk after mother seeks help at a base in the interior of SP Choking: new guidelines change the step-by-step maneuvers for babies, children and adults; see guide driver saves choking baby after mother asks for help in the middle of the street in Botucatu, SP Security Camera/Reproduction In the images, it is possible to see Jamile Cristina Gonçalves, the girl's mother, in the middle of the street with her daughter on her lap. At one point, she even bends down while trying to call for help, until a white pickup truck stops in the middle of the road. The driver gets out of the vehicle, picks up the baby and begins the choking maneuver with a sequence of pats on the child's back. A few seconds later, the girl manages to expel an earring that she had swallowed, breathes normally again and is returned to her mother's arms. After choking, the baby was taken to the emergency room, where she underwent x-rays and medical evaluation. According to the mother, the tests did not reveal any complications, and the girl was released. Baby who choked was taken to the PS, where she underwent a medical evaluation and was released Security Camera/Reproduction 'It all happened very quickly' To g1, the mother said that everything happened in a matter of seconds. She had just arrived from work and was at home with her daughter when the child picked up a jar of earrings that was on a table, in a place where, according to her, the girl had never been able to reach. "There was a little basket with a little jar of earrings in a place that she had never been able to reach. When I saw it, she already had the little jar in her hand and wanted to vomit. It all happened very quickly. I realized that she was choking and my only reaction was to pick her up and run out to the street asking for help", said the accounting assistant. The mother said she tried to perform the release maneuver, but was unable to do so because of desperation. She also thanked the driver for his speed and calmness. "The street was empty, very windy and very cold. I even tried to hit her back and do the maneuver, but when I was desperate I couldn't. Thank God Carlos Eduardo appeared. He got out of the car very calmly, did the maneuver and she threw out the earring. I have no doubt that it was God who put it there to save my daughter", he stated. Baby aged 1 year and 7 months saved by driver had choked on an earring in Botucatu Security Camera/Reproduction What to do in case of choking? In October 2025, the American Heart Association (AHA) updated its official guidelines for first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and cardiovascular emergencies. From now on, the AHA's recommendation for conscious victims, whether children or adults, is to alternate five blows to the back with five abdominal thrusts (the well-known Heimlich maneuver). Until then, the protocol advised starting directly with compressions. For babies under 1 year old, the procedure has also been adjusted: alternate between five blows on the back and five compressions on the chest, using the heel of the palm of the hand, until the foreign body is expelled or until the baby loses consciousness. According to the AHA, the goal is to increase effectiveness and reduce the risk of injury. It is worth mentioning that, in children under one year of age, abdominal compressions are prohibited as they may harm internal organs. RJ firefighters teach new relief maneuvers ?? When to seek help immediately If the person is unable to breathe, cough or speak. If you become unconscious. If the object is not expelled after the maneuvers. Always activate SAMU (192) before starting the procedures. See more news from the region on g1 Bauru and Marília