Father meets Cal Fire dispatcher who helped save his baby's life

AUBURN, Calif. (KTVU, KTXL) - It was an emotional meeting, as a father from Placer County on Monday got the long awaited opportunity to thank the dispatcher who helped him save his baby's life.

The last time John Flynn spoke with Cal Fire dispatcher Chris Africa was back in May, during the harrowing 911 call he made after his two-month-old daughter, Wren, stopped breathing.

During that call, Africa walked the Auburn father, step-by-step, through infant CPR.

Those efforts helped keep the baby alive until paramedics arrived. 

The newborn girl was rushed to a nearby hospital, then transferred to Sacramento, where she stayed in intensive care for a month.

Flynn said he was eager to meet the man who came to his aid during a moment of extreme distress. 

"We're talking about my only daughter. I just kept saying, 'I want to meet that guy, I want to meet that guy,'" Flynn said.

So it was during an event put on by the American Heart Association, that Flynn did get that chance to meet Africa face to face and thank the dispatcher in person. 

Both men attended the event, where they were both recognized with the association's Heartsaver Hero award, given to those who save a life using CPR. 

The meeting was incredibly emotional for Africa, who even got to hold the infant he helped save. 

Africa said he was very surprised when Flynn reached out to him. He was near tears as he said that dispatchers almost never hear from the people they get to assist during an emergency. 

"This is very rewarding, and it is very emotional," said the Cal Fire dispatcher, who was humble about his role in helping the Flynn family.

"If it wasn't myself," Africa said, "anybody else in the command center would have done the same exact job."