A Marion County Sheriff’s K-9 deputy is being credited with saving an infant’s life late Wednesday afternoon.
Deputy Jeremie Nix was flagged down by a frantic motorist at about 5:30 p.m. as he was traveling home after his shift. Nix was stopped at a red light at the intersection of SE Lake Weir Avenue and SE 17th Street when a motorist told him that her 3-month-old baby boy, named Kingston, was unresponsive.
Nix pulled his patrol car to the side of the road and ran to help the child. He performed several life-saving measures and after not seeing any improvement, made the decision to rush Kingston to Ocala Regional Medical Center.
Medical personnel at the hospital took over treatment and reported that Kingston was doing well and would make a full recovery. They also are crediting Nix’s quick actions with saving Kingston’s life.
“We are tremendously proud of Dep. Nix and we can already see that he and Baby Kingston will have a deep connection that will last a lifetime!” the sheriff’s office posted on its Facebook page Thursday afternoon.
The Sheriff’s Office reported Thursday night just after 7 p.m. that Kingston went home from the hospital with his mother with a clean bill of health.