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Baby dies after language mix-up | Baby dies after language mix-up |
(about 1 hour later) | |
A 10-month-old girl choked to death in a street as her Chinese mother struggled to explain to neighbours what was wrong, police said. | A 10-month-old girl choked to death in a street as her Chinese mother struggled to explain to neighbours what was wrong, police said. |
The mother, who is believed not to be an English speaker, ran into the street in Darlington to raise the alarm after her baby choked on a piece of apple. | |
The infant was taken to the town's memorial hospital on 19 September, but later died. | The infant was taken to the town's memorial hospital on 19 September, but later died. |
Her death has been revealed as part of a coroner's investigation. | Her death has been revealed as part of a coroner's investigation. |
Acting Det Supt Adrian Green, of Durham Police, said the death was not being treated as suspicious. | |
The mum was screaming, but no words were coming out, just screams Eyewitness Robert Winn | |
He said: "The pathologist said it was highly unlikely that anyone could have saved the baby once she started to choke. | He said: "The pathologist said it was highly unlikely that anyone could have saved the baby once she started to choke. |
"It is an awful tragedy." | "It is an awful tragedy." |
It is believed the baby's mother was an asylum seeker who lived alone. | It is believed the baby's mother was an asylum seeker who lived alone. |
Eyewitness Robert Winn, 53, a retired lorry driver, said the baby's mother rushed out of the house and knocked on neighbours' doors. | |
Resuscitation bid | |
He said: "Then she sat on the pavement with the baby in her arms. | |
"It was like she was holding a kid's doll, the baby was limp and her arms were flopping down and the mother was tapping her back. | |
"The mum was screaming, but no words were coming out, just screams." | |
He said neighbours soon came to her aid, and one tried mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. | |
A hospital spokeswoman said: "We had a full resuscitation team ready and the family went straight into treatment when they arrived. | |
"They were seen immediately. | "They were seen immediately. |
"At that stage, language wasn't a barrier as the treatment would have been the same." | "At that stage, language wasn't a barrier as the treatment would have been the same." |