OAK CREEK NEWS

An off-duty Oak Creek firefighter saved an infant's life on the side of an Illinois highway

Erik S. Hanley
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Michael Wargolet (left), a firefighter with the Oak Creek Fire Department, was recognized Feb. 28 by Chief Mike Kressuk (right) for his off-duty actions in saving an infant in Illinois Feb. 17.

As Michael Wargolet drove his family home Feb. 17 after coaching a youth hockey tournament in Illinois, a man on the side of the road caught his eye.

“It looked like someone needed help,” Wargolet said.

The man, who had parked his vehicle on the side of Interstate 41/94, was frantically attempting to get the attention of passing drivers. Wargolet, an Oak Creek firefighter, said he also saw a woman nearby holding what he thought was a child, wrapped in a blanket, in her arms.

Wargolet, who was off-duty at the time, pulled into the emergency lane, ran over and was immediately handed a 3-month old boy who wasn’t breathing and had no pulse.

“The baby was just thrust at me,” Wargolet said. While his wife called 911, Wargolet began to perform CPR on the infant.

After about a minute, the child took a breath — but only one.

Wargolet reassessed and continued CPR. After another minute, the boy began to breathe and started crying.

“Emotions almost overtook me, I almost lost it right there,” Wargolet said, adding that he composed himself and held onto the child until paramedics arrived. “It’s surreal, it just happened so fast and I was lucky to be in the right place at the right time.”

The Libertyville Fire Department arrived and took over care of the 3-month old. The boy spent some time in the hospital but was released and taken home, according to the Oak Creek Fire Department.

While it’s his job as a paramedic, Wargolet said the actions he took that day could have been taken by anyone.

“You don’t have to be a paramedic to do CPR, contact your local fire department or the American Heart Association to learn,” he said.

The Oak Creek Fire Department reinforced the importance of bystander CPR in a statement.

“Early CPR, combined with emergency medical care and hospital interventions, provides patients with the best potential for positive outcomes,” the department said. “It is our hope that events such as this one encourage others to learn CPR so that they are willing to step forward in a time of need.”

Wargolet was recognized Feb. 28 by the department for his actions.

“It’s overwhelming, I’m proud of it but also humbled by it,” he said of the recognition. “There are a lot of firefighters and paramedics that do this every day that don’t often get recognized.”

Contact Erik S. Hanley at (262) 875-9467 or erik.hanley@jrn.com. Follow him on Twitter at @ES_Hanley.