Mom Notices Her Baby Not Breathing at School Drop-Off. Watch Officer Run to Save Her Life (Exclusive)

"I will never forget the look in the mother’s eyes, she went from a state of panic to tears of happiness," Deputy William Weaver tells PEOPLE

A school resource officer jumped into action to save the day when a mom encountered a scary situation with her baby girl.

In September 2022, a mom was dropping off one of her kids at Three Oaks Elementary School in Fort Myers, Florida, when she realized her baby daughter Cheyanne wasn't breathing in the backseat. Thankfully, Deputy Williams Weaver, who was assigned as the school's resource officer that month, was nearby to take control of the situation.

"It was a normal day, I was outside monitoring parent-student drop-off when I saw a mother who appeared to be in distress. Initially, I didn’t know what was wrong, so I ran over to the mother," Deputy Weaver tells PEOPLE. "She was frantic and holding her infant saying she had stopped breathing and was turning blue."

Deputy Weaver, whose heroic actions were captured on surveillance footage from the school, began performing back thrusts and chest compressions on the infant.

"The infant had mucus lodged in her throat," Deputy Weaver explains. "It only took a few seconds to clear what was blocking her airway. I will never forget the look in the mother’s eyes, she went from a state of panic to tears of happiness. It made me feel incredible."

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"The mother was so thankful and was crying tears of happiness when I handed her baby back to her, crying and breathing," he recalls.

Deputy Weaver says he knew what to do in the situation as he trains and practices emergency care as part of his law enforcement duties.

"My training and instincts kicked in and the care came naturally," he says. "I also credit my medical experience from my four years in the United States Air Force. I’m a calm person when it comes to intense situations like these."

The Lee County Sheriff's Office later shared the footage of Deputy Weaver's save on TikTok, where many users praised Deputy Weaver in the comments for his quick response.

"I’m surprised by the response, but it is a great public-interest story! I am grateful I was there and was able to save the infant’s life, but there are so many stories like mine that go unnoticed," says the officer, who also noted that this was his third save since 2015.

"Law enforcement presence in schools is so important. We are not just there to take students to jail or catch bad people; we truly care about the safety and well-being of every student, faculty member and person who comes to campus."

Deputy Weaver says he's also still in touch with the mother whose baby he saved that day.

"I still see the mother every morning when she drops her other daughter off for school," he shares. "On occasion, she will bring Cheyanne in to say hello and I’m able to hold her. Cheyanne’s sister is also enrolled in the school I cover, so I see her every morning at drop-off and she gives me the biggest hug!"

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Read the original article on People.