Mum saves baby’s life while on hold to triple zero
A Melbourne mother has recalled the terrifying moment she had to save her daughter's life after being placed on hold to triple zero for eight minutes.
Sophea Mutsez leapt into action to save her four-month-old daughter Madeline, who stopped breathing after an epileptic fit on Wednesday night.
She started performing CPR and dialled triple zero for help.
“I just did whatever I could do,” she told 7NEWS.
“I knew I had to do something because if I didn’t I was going to lose her."
“All of a sudden I noticed her eyes went back into her head, her tongue came out of her mouth and her body went stiff.”
Sophea kept performing CPR as she expected a seizure to take over.
Meanwhile, the phone kept ringing as Sophea "freaked out a bit" while she waited to be put through to an emergency operator.
After eight long minutes on hold, Sophea's call was answered and an ambulance arrived to help Madeline five minutes later.
Madeline has spent the last four days recovering in hospital and is on the road to recovery.
Triple zero operator ESTA is receiving a record 3000 calls every day, placing an unprecedented strain on the system.
A third of the phone calls they receive don't require an ambulance.
“I could have lost my little girl because of someone taking up the line over a runny nose,” Sophea said.
Image credit: 7News