Childrens’ 911 call saves mother’s life

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EATON — Nine-year-old Liam Jones and 7-year-old Lydia Jones were recognized during the Eaton City Council’s meeting on Monday, June 21, for quick thinking that saved their mother’s life.

The siblings were home with their mother, Heather Jones, on Saturday, May 29, when she fell and began to have trouble breathing.

Liam, who was eight years old at the time, then called 911 alongside his sister Lydia, and they informed Preble County Sheriff’s Office dispatcher Liz Evans that, “Our mom just fell and I think she can’t breathe.”

Eaton Police Division Officer Vanessa Eley, who responded to the initial call, said the call came through as a “female who wasn’t breathing” and that the juvenile children that were on the scene made the 911 call.

Evans helped to guide Liam and Lydia through the call, and the siblings informed dispatch of their address as well as unlocking the door for police and paramedics.

“We have a pretty good relationship with our dispatchers, so when this was dispatched, we could obviously tell it was pretty serious,” Eley said. “Unfortunately, too, we ended up getting stuck on the train way to get there, so that made it even more hectic, I think, as far as our response, but when we arrived on scene, we met the children at the residence, Liam and Lydia.”

When asked on the 911 call how the children knew their mother wasn’t breathing, Liam told dispatchers this wasn’t the first time it had happened

“You called the right number,” Evans said on the 911 call that lasted several minutes. “You did exactly what you should’ve done. You called 911. We’ve got help on the way.”

Eaton Police Division Chief Steven Hurd said Evans, “did a fantastic job talking to the kids.”

Hurd continued: “Kudos to the parents for teaching the kids to call 911 in an emergency, and great job to the kids on actually following through and doing it and giving all the information needed,” he said. “They let [dispatchers] know if there was a dog in the house; they went and unlocked the front door. It was just an excellent job.”

For their bravery and saving their mother’s life, Liam and Lydia were recognized during the meeting alongside their family.

Hurd, Eley and Evans were all in attendance to meet the family and provide a handful of gifts as well as an official Citizen Recognition Award from EPD.

“Myself and my partner that night, Officer [Aaron] Melling, we were just very impressed as to your bravery and courage, how calm they were,” Eley said during Monday’s meeting. “This is obviously a medical emergency involving their mother, so for them to be as calm as they were to make that phone call, to give the dispatcher all the information, answer all the questions, it was just very impressive, and we’re very proud of them.”

During the Monday, June 21 meeting of the Eaton City Council, Eaton Police Division Chief Steve Hurd, PCSO dispatcher Liz Evans and EPD Officer Vanessa Eley met with the family of Heather Jones, whose two youngest children saved her life with a 911 call.
https://www.registerherald.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/41/2021/06/web1_Eaton_City_Council.jpegDuring the Monday, June 21 meeting of the Eaton City Council, Eaton Police Division Chief Steve Hurd, PCSO dispatcher Liz Evans and EPD Officer Vanessa Eley met with the family of Heather Jones, whose two youngest children saved her life with a 911 call. Braden Moles | The Register-Herald
Eaton family recognized at council meeting

By Braden Moles

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Reach Braden Moles at 937-683-4056 or on Twitter @BradenMoles

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