News

Farmington family says deputies who saved toddler will be eternal heroes

Loretta Park

04/28/2014

April 28--FARMINGTON -- When the two Davis County sheriff's deputies first saw 15-month-old James Rencher's gray-blue limp body, they knew the odds were against them in saving the toddler's life.

But the Farmington boy, now 2, behaves like any other child his age, including "putting things in his mouth, that little stinker," said the boy's mother, Jennifer Rencher.

Jennifer Rencher said the morning of April 13, 2013, will forever be etched in her mind and the two paramedics who arrived after her 10-year-old son called 911 will eternally be her family's heroes.

Deputies Cory Cox and Clinton Cassil were among 20 officers honored recently by the Utah Fraternal Order of Police at the second annual "Utah Heroes Night," held at Granger High School in West Valley City. They received a "Lifesaving" award.

It was Cox and Cassil who showed up at the Rencher home.

Cox said in his 16 years as a deputy/paramedic it is common to get calls about toddlers and babies choking, but generally the dispatcher will give updates on the child's condition as first-responders are en route.

"We weren't getting any updates, so we knew this was a bad call," Cox said.

Cox said as he drove to the Renchers' home in Farmington, he passed a park that was packed with families who were watching their children play baseball and soccer.

When they arrived at the Rencher home, they were met by the Jennifer and Andrew Rencher's three older children who said their mom was in the basement with their younger brother.

They saw Jennifer Rencher kneeling next to her limp baby boy. The boy's skin color was a blue-gray.

Cox and Cassil got their equipment out and began asking Jennifer Rencher questions.

When Cox looked down James' throat he could see a white object. He and Cassil tried several different methods to get the object out, but were unsuccessful. A medical helicopter was on its way, but the seconds ticked off and the boy's condition was deteriorating.

They were impressed with how calm she was while they worked on her son.

"She was perfect. She answered questions in a an amazing clear voice," Cox said. "Here was her precious child dying in her basement and she was calm."

Finally Cox was able to push the object, which later turned out to be a miniature doll binkie, into the boy's lung. Within in 30 seconds, James' coloring improved but then he began experiencing other problems. And with each procedure the paramedics did to keep the boy alive, James showed an improvement, but was still not out of the woods.

Cox said as he has thought about it he realizes as they worked on her son and with each little improvement, it brought hope to Jennifer Rencher.

Jennifer Rencher said she had to remain calm because her oldest son, who was 10 at the time, was hysterical.

"I remember thinking just do anything, do anything you have to to save him," Jennifer Rencher said about what she was thinking while Cox and Cassil worked on her baby. "I was so relieved when they showed up. I thought, thank heavens there is somebody here who knows what to do."

Jennifer Rencher said the two paramedics deserved the award and every day when she and her family see an ambulance, a paramedic truck or a helicopter, they know there is a family at the other end experiencing the worse day of their lives.

"Our hearts are heavy for those families, but we are so grateful and are now the biggest fans of first-responders," she said.

Dave Edwards, vice president of the Utah Fraternal Order of Police, said the awards ceremony "is a time to get together as officers and the community to celebrate and to honor those services rendered to the public." Many of those who received awards were not expecting them.

"I was just doing the job," said Cox.

Other local law enforcement officers who were recognized include:

Lifesaving Award: Weber County Sheriff's Corporal Tyler Greenlaugh for saving a 2-week old infant who had quit breathing on Feb. 15, 2012.

Heroism Award: Farmington Police Detective Scott Richardson and Davis County Sheriff's Sgt. Bob Thompson, for their role in capturing Marco Antonio Guizar, 37, who was shooting randomly at vehicles on Legacy Parkway on Jan. 16, 2013. Guizar was later linked to similar shootings several days before in Salt Lake County. He has since been sentenced to prison.

Heroism Award: Roy Police Officer Kyle Christensen , for pulling a man out of a burning house on Jan. 12 just moments before it flashed and the house was unsalvagable.

Heroism Award: Members of the Weber-Metro Narcotics Strike Force and Ogden Police Department involved in the drug raid of the home of Matthew David Stewart, on Jan. 4, 2012. Ogden Police officers Shawn Grogan, Kasey Burrell and Michael Rounkles, Roy Police Officer Jason VanderWarf and Weber County Sheriff's Deputy Nathan Hutchinson were honored. A moment of silence was also held for Ogden Police officer Jared Francom, who was shot and killed.