The CIO of a Maryland hospital helped save a 2-year-old from drowning after the child was thrown from a vehicle into the Assawoman Bay near Ocean City, according to a May 12 Daily American report.
Jonathan Bauer, vice president of information services and CIO at Berlin, Md.-based Atlantic General Hospital, witnessed a crash on the Route 90 highway May 2 that left a truck hanging over the bridge's guardrail.
After checking on the driver of the truck involved in the five-car crash, Mr. Bauer told the publication that he saw a car seat, some other items and the little girl floating on her back in the bay. He looked for any boats nearby to help the toddler, but there were none in the area. She then flipped over onto her stomach and her face was submerged in the water, prompting Mr. Bauer to jump off the bridge into the bay to help the child.
"I popped up, swam over to the girl and lifted her out of the water," he told The Daily American. "Her mouth was open, her eyes were semi open. And then I raised my shoulder very high and aggressively patted her on her back. Within seconds she spit up a bunch of water and started coughing."
A boat picked up the toddler and Mr. Bauer and took them to shore, where they were met by emergency responders. The child was airlifted to Baltimore-based Johns Hopkins Children's Center and was released May 12. She is expected to make a full recovery, police said.
Seven other people from the crash were treated and released from hospitals, according to the report.