A South Florida Highway Patrol trooper is being hailed as a hero after he saved a young boy who was having a seizure and wasn't breathing.
Trooper Billy Herrera was at his home off duty on Nov. 1 when he got a knock on his door from a neighbor who was holding her 3-year-old grandson, who was not breathing and was unresponsive.
"By the tone of her voice I could tell she was scared, frightened and she didn't know what was going on," Herrera said Thursday, recounting the incident.
Herrera, who just joined the FHP in Miami after graduating from the academy in September, quickly went into action, laying the boy, Lester Jordan Zayas, on the ground and performing CPR.
"I got close to his chest to see if he was breathing and he was not responding," Herrera said. "I called him by his first name but there was no response so I immediately gave him CPR."
As Herrera performed CPR, fluid came out of Zayas' mouth and he started having a seizure.
"I let the seizure pass and I saw he started to breathe again, he was being responsive, he was able to look at me and I was able to communicate with him," Herrera said. "I was glad that he was responding."
Rescue workers arrived and took Zayas to Kendall Regional Hospital where he recuperated.
"I was just happy that I was able to have the opportunity to be part of helping him out," Herrera said.
On Thursday, fellow troopers praised Herrera for his life-saving efforts.
"Officer Herrera just happened to be at the right place at the right time, he made a difference, he saved a life," FHP spokesman Joe Sanchez said. "At the end of the day I'm glad that the child's okay."
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