PS Robert Jackson with Deputy Commissioner Craig Mackey and RHS Chairman John Grandy. Image: Met Police.

A Police Sergeant has received an award for saving the life of an 11 year old boy in October 2013.

Police Sergeant Robert Jackson from the Roads & Transport Policing Command was presented with a Royal Humane Society Resuscitation Certificate by Deputy Commissioner Craig Mackey and RHS Chairman John Grandy in front of Chief Inspector John Oldham and others at a ceremony held at New Scotland Yard.

On the morning of the 17th of October 2013, PS Jackson had been on the bus to work when it stopped in Rochester Road.

At the stop, the driver left his cab to speak to some schoolchildren behind him.

PS Jackson went to assist and saw that one boy was slumped forward on his knees with his head on the floor.

When he spoke to the boy, PS Jackson realised he was unconscious.

After removing the boy’s rucksack and laying him flat on his back, he saw that the boy’s face was grey, his lips had turned blue, his eyes were in the back of his head and he wasn’t breathing.

He checked the airway and gave two rescue breaths, causing the boy to begin to breathe again.

However his breathing was very laboured and he was making noises as if his airway was blocked.

At this point a female passenger went to assist PS Jackson whilst he directed another passenger to call for an ambulance.

How to deal with someone who isn’t breathing. Image: St Johns Ambulance website. Click for link.

The officer checked the boy’s airway again and noticed that his tongue was restricting his breathing.

He placed the boy into the recovery position and tilted his head back, unblocking the airway.

The boy started to cough and continued to breathe.

He remained unconscious for some time and the officer continued to monitor his condition and talk to him until a paramedic arrived on scene.

Once the paramedics arrived the boy was given oxygen, after which he started to come round.

After treatment at the scene he was taken by ambulance to hospital.

PS Jackson made follow-up calls to the hospital and was told that the boy had been moved to the paediatric ward where he was in a stable condition and undergoing tests.

That evening the officer spoke to the boy’s mother over the phone, who expressed her eternal gratitude to PS Jackson for saving her son’s life.

It is believed that the boy may have suffered from some type of epileptic fit, an illness which had been undiagnosed until this time.

The boy was released from hospital the following day.

Upon receiving his award, PS Rob Jackson, said:

I am very pleased to receive my Royal Humane Society certificate in recognition of my actions on Thursday 17th October 2013. Anyone in my position would have done the same thing.

As a police officer I am lucky that I have received training in life saving techniques which I had to use on this day. I have never had to use it before, up until resuscitating an 11-year-old. Having four children myself, and two being of similar age, this was a horrible and frightening experience for me. At the time I honestly thought he was going to die as he was not breathing, his face was grey and his lips turned blue. After giving him two breaths, I was relieved that he started to breath, cough and cry.

I have seen him and his mum on the bus a few times since and his mum always thanks me for helping her son.