In his 23 years as a Florida Highway Patrol state trooper, Brett McCranie has seen many things. Once, he responded to a call about a Denny’s that had been firebombed. Another time, he worked a scenario involving a shooter. And just this morning, he was on scene for an overturned tanker on Interstate 4.
But, he says, nothing tops helping a beautiful baby girl into the world.
After responding to the overturned tanker, McCranie, an Antioch resident, was walking back to his patrol car at 7:35 a.m. May 9, when Plant City resident Arturo Santiago-Santiago, 32, pulled his vehicle onto the interstate’s median near him.
Baby! Baby! Baby! he shouted.
McCranie responded, rushing to Santiago-Santiago’s car to find his wife, Emila Paz, in labor in the back seat. McCranie himself has a 10-year-old daughter and 12-year-old son, and he was in the hospital delivery room for both.
“I basically comforted her and provided basic care,” McCranie said. “I instructed her to breathe and remain calm. Once the baby came, I told her to wrap the baby up and keep it close to her.”
Once McCranie determined the baby, a girl named Iris, was healthy and breathing on her own, he called Hillsborough County Fire Rescue personnel, who responded and took the family to Tampa General Hospital. Both Paz and Iris are in good condition.
“I’ve seen a lot of things through 23 years on patrol — but never a baby,” McCranie said. “It was heartwarming.
“It’s just part of the job; you do what you gotta do to make sure everyone is OK,” he said. “But this was the best day of my career so far.”
