A Florida sheriff’s deputy says he was just doing his job when he quickly came to the aid of a mom and her toddler and infant children in a car crash and performed chest compressions on the infant until the baby resumed breathing.
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Charlotte County Deputy Sgt. Dave Musgrove’s heroics the night of Feb. 8 were captured on body camera footage.
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The deputy was traveling on a state highway near Englewood when a motorcycle passed him at an estimated speed of over 100 mph (160 km), the sheriff’s office said in a Feb. 16 news release. Seconds later, a camera in the deputy’s vehicle captured a flash of light as the motorcycle crashed into another vehicle.
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Upon arriving at the scene, Musgrove opened a rear passenger door and pulled the toddler from a booster seat. He flagged a passerby and handed the child to him and then went back to the car.
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The motorcyclist was dead and wedged on top of the infant, who was in a car seat. With the help of other drivers, Musgrove moved the motorcyclist and cut a seatbelt to remove the car seat.
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The baby was not breathing. In the body camera footage, her mother asks frantically whether she’s alive. Musgrove performs chest compressions until the baby resumes breathing.
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“The actions of Sgt. Musgrove are to be commended,” Sheriff Bill Prummell said in a statement. “His poise and calm demeanor in a scene of chaos and tragedy ultimately saved the life of a beautiful child.”
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The mom, Kayleigh Foley, told WBBH in Fort Myers that Musgrove is a hero to the family.
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“He is such a genuine person,” she said.
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Her infant daughter was in intensive care with a brain injury at a St. Petersburg hospital, according to WBBH.
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At a news conference, Musgrove downplayed his efforts.
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“Anybody that has received the same training we’ve received would do the same thing,” he said.
This story was first published February 19, 2024, 2:53 PM.
