Off-duty officer credited with saving child's life at KOP amusement park
KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa. (CBS) – An 8-year-old boy is lucky to be alive after getting tangled in a rope ladder at an indoor amusement park in King of Prussia. Police say the boy was hanging from his neck.
Fortunately, two off-duty officers were in the right place at the right time.
Corporal J.R. Kane with West Vincent Township police was inside Thrillz High Flying Adventure Kark in King of Prussia last Saturday afternoon with his sons and nephews when he says he grabbed his step-father's pocket knife and ran towards the calls for help.
"He was unconscious, and he was foaming at the mouth and pretty lifeless," Kane said.
An 8-year-old was entangled in a rope ladder and hanging from his neck. Police say the boy was not breathing at first.
"When you are a father or a mother you don't want to ever have to see that," Kane said. "You think of your own child being in that position."
Kane says he handed the knife to a staff member to cut the boy down.
That's when the corporal and another off-duty officer, Deputy Chief Cory Cooper from Darby Township worked together. They administered CPR and rescue breathing and the boy regained consciousness and started speaking.
"Thankfully we were there," Kane said. "Right place right time I guess."
In a statement sent to CBS News Philadelphia after the incident, the owner of the park said:
"After our investigation and reviewing camera footage, we can say that the boy was seen climbing headfirst down a rope ladder and became tangled. Within 10 seconds, our safety monitors formed a response team along with off-duty police officers and a nurse who was also on site."
We're told the child was released from the hospital later that day.
Kane may have been off the clock Saturday but he says first responders are never truly off duty.
"It's our task to preserve life and protect life out there, so we're just doing our job," Kane said.
Out of an abundance of caution, the owner of the park says she's enhancing the safety of that rope ladder.
And according to police, a review is now underway looking into the safety procedure throughout the adventure park.
