Hobart police officers cited for lifesaving efforts

Hobart has honored two police officers credited with lifesaving efforts involving two infants in separate incidents.

Pat. Zachary Bulthuis and Pat. Ryan Zuklin received commendation citations from Police Chief Garrett Ciszewski at Wednesday’s Board of Works and Safety meeting.

“On behalf of the city, we applaud you,” Mayor Josh Huddleston told the officers.

Zuklin said he answered a dispatch call on Jan. 17 telling him a 70-year-old woman was in distress, but when he arrived at the home, he found a 7-week-old baby struggling to breathe and turning blue.

“I started doing CPR,” said Zuklin who explained he learned child and baby cardio-pulmonary resuscitation at the police academy. He said it’s a slightly different procedure from the adult method.

A short time later, Hobart Fire Department medics arrived and maintained the CPR effort all the way to the St. Mary Medical Center.

“It was everybody on deck,” Zuklin said of the emergency workers’ quick response. “They got a pulse back and the baby was taken in a helicopter to a Chicago children’s hospital.”

Zuklin has been a member of the police department for four years.

“I went home that night and hugged my 6-year-old,” he said.

The incident marked Zuklin’s second commendation for lifesaving, Ciszewski said.

On May 24, Bulthuis answered a call regarding a child drowning in a bathtub.

He found a mother holding an unresponsive nine-month-old boy who slipped out of his bath seat as his mom tended to another child.

“He had a heartbeat, so I didn’t do CPR,” said Bulthuis, who joined the department six years ago.

“I listened to his mouth and started back pats. Pretty soon, he spewed out all the water and started crying.”

The child was rushed to a nearby hospital where officials said he made a full recovery.

“I’m just happy we can show the Board of Public Works the great things our officers do,” said Ciszewski. “They go above and beyond.”

He also stressed the importance of learning CPR.

The Hobart firefighters’ union teaches a course on CPR, first aid and Stop the Bleed. For information, contact 219-942-5184.

Carole Carlson is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.