Sheriff Johnson Awards Medal To Baby-Saving Deputy

Date Added: August 07, 2012 9:00 am

Gary Davidson
Public Information Officer

Just 22-years-old and only six months on the job, Volusia County Sheriff’s deputy Cody Cochran suddenly found himself with a baby’s life in his hands. The date was May 25, and a 1-year-old baby boy had tumbled into a swimming pool at a home in Deltona. By the time Cochran arrived, the baby had been removed from the pool, but was limp and unresponsive and had no pulse. Without a moment to spare, Cochran quickly took charged of the chaotic scene and began administering CPR to the child as he had been taught in his first aid instruction. After about 30 seconds of CPR, the baby showed its first signs of life as it started to moan and breathe on its own.

The baby was taken to the hospital as a precaution, but has since made a full recovery. In less than a minute, a life had been rescued, thanks to Cochran.

On Tuesday, Volusia County Sheriff Ben Johnson took time out to praise Cochran’s poise and fast actions. For his life-saving heroics, Cochran was awarded the agency’s Medal of Merit. The award was presented during a ceremony Tuesday morning in Daytona Beach in front of a large crowd of co-workers who gave Cochran a standing ovation. “It’s not often in a career that someone can come home after a day’s work and say: ‘Today, I saved a child’s life,’ ” Sheriff Johnson told Cochran. “We’re very proud of you for a job well done.”