BEDFORD, MASS. (WHDH) - An 8-year-old boy is lucky to be alive after becoming tangled in his seat belt in Bedford on Saturday.
Officers responding to a report of a child choking inside a car near the intersection of South and Great roads around 4 p.m. spoke with Siobhan Sherbovich who said she pulled over when her son, Brayden said he couldn’t breathe and found that he had pulled the seatbelt loose and wrapped it around his neck, apparently activating the belt’s locking mechanism.
“I watched him just try to get air and just try to get pressure off of it,” she said. “I tried to hold him up to get the pressure off of it and before I could even process anything he was basically hanging from the ceiling unconscious.”
Sherbovich was unable to loosen the seat belt to free Brayden, who began to turn blue and lost consciousness.
She ran into a nearby salon, where she got a pair of scissors and was able to cut him free.
She then performed CPR until firefighters and police arrived to render medical aid. The boy regained consciousness and was evaluated at an area hospital.
“This was a very dangerous situation, one that I have not encountered previously in more than 25 years of public safety experience,” Bedford Police Chief Robert Bongiorno said in a statement. “Thankfully, the mother kept her composure and was able to use the resources in the immediate area to free the trapped child. I urge all parents to review the manufacturer’s safety guidelines on their vehicles and to teach safety to their children. Thankfully, a tragedy was averted in this situation, and we hope all parents can learn from this ordeal and a future tragedy can also be prevented through awareness.”
Sherbovich said she hopes this can serve as a teachable moment for everyone.
“The most frustrating part is that: A. there was no release,” she said. “There is no button to push.”
Brayden is at home and resting comfortably. He is not expected to have any lasting medical complications.
In the wake of this close call, the police chief said he hopes parents will review seatbelt safety measures.
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