Deputies and fire personnel in Macomb County, Michigan, are being hailed as heroes after reviving a toddler who fell into her family’s pool and was found unresponsive. The remarkable rescue was captured on officer-worn bodycam footage and has since gone viral.
The incident unfolded on a seemingly normal Saturday morning when 2-year-old Mira Lateef was enjoying her breakfast and watching cartoons while her parents attended to their chores.
Tragically, Mira managed to slip outside unnoticed and ended up in the pool, where she was discovered face down and unconscious by her mother.
Frantically, Mira’s mother, Hanan, dialed 9-1-1, struggling to convey the urgent situation to the dispatcher. The gravity of the moment was palpable as she pleaded for help. The child’s father, Saif, took over the call and followed CPR instructions from the dispatcher in a desperate attempt to revive his daughter.
“It is just one of those calls you hope you never receive,” Macomb County Sheriff’s Office Commander Jason Abro told Fox 2 News.
Within minutes, deputies from the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office arrived at the scene, responding swiftly to the distress call. Deputies Jonathon Potocki and Mitchell Blount immediately took over the lifesaving efforts, working tirelessly to get Mira breathing and her heart beating again.
“Come on, baby! Come on. I got a heartbeat,” one of the deputies could be heard saying on the body-cam footage.
Recognizing that time was of the essence and faced with delays in the arrival of an ambulance due to a construction zone, a crucial decision was made by the collaborative efforts of Macomb Township fire personnel and the sheriff deputies to transport Mira to a local hospital in Blount’s patrol vehicle while continuing lifesaving measures en route.
The stress and anxiety at the scene were immense, but the first responders showcased remarkable teamwork and quick thinking.
“You can just imagine the stress and anxiety that’s going on at the scene,” Abro said.
Saif Lateef later expressed his gratitude for the officer’s lifesaving actions.
“They did amazing — in a few seconds they left with her and got her to the hospital,” he said.
“They saved her life,” Lateef added. “Even if I do everything for these people, I can’t be thankful enough.”
At the hospital, doctors discovered that Mira was breathing and had a pulse, thanks to the determined efforts of police and fire personnel.
With a Level II pediatric trauma designation, Mira was subsequently airlifted to another hospital for further treatment and was reported to be in stable condition.
Sheriff Anthony Wickersham issued a statement commending the deputies and fire personnel in handling the emergency.
“This type of situation is one of the worst a parent can experience,” he said. “The responding Deputies and Fire personnel acted swiftly, ensuring the toddler received lifesaving measures and hospital transportation as quickly as possible. I applaud these public servants for their exceptional efforts.”
On June 5, Mira was released from the hospital. The Lateef family, relieved that their daughter is on the path to recovery, has taken additional safety measures to prevent such incidents from recurring by securing the pool ladder and adding extra barriers to restrict Mira’s access to the outside. They personally thanked the first responders for their heroic actions at a reunion hosted by the Sheriff’s Office on June 8, and the following week they stopped by the Macomb Township Substation to deliver a delicious meal to deputies.
“It’s the best thing in the world,” Potocki said of having saved a young life. “It’s what we — I don’t want to sound cliché, but what we signed up to do.”
