RICHLAND, Miss. (WJTV) – Three officers with the Richland Police Department have been recognized for saving the life of a one-year-old girl on Saturday, May 20.

Police received a call on Saturday about a child on Maxine Drive choking on an unknown item.

Officer Joseph Mullins was the first to arrive on scene. He said the child, Autumn Carlisle, was gasping for air and went limp. He jumped into action and performed life saving measures.

Lt. Juan Chapa and Sgt. Jeffery Grace assisted Mullins in saving the child’s life. She began breathing after about a minute of compressions.

“I go back to the training. It just kicks in is second nature and just start what I’ve learned and just helping the child the best I can,” explained Mullins.

“Being a parent myself, I understand first hand the stressfulness that it is when you’re enduring a situation like that. So to keep the situation under control, keep everybody calm, try to find out what it is and what happened, so that once we do get medical on scene, they can assess and take care of the situation the proper way,” stated Grace.

Carlisle was taken back tot he hospital on Monday, May 22. Her mother said a plastic ring was removed from her throat, and she is expected to be okay.