El Monte Police Officer Discovers His Lieutenant Saved His Life 27 Years Ago

EL MONTE (CBSLA) – An El Monte police officer recently made a stunning discovery: he may not be alive today if it weren't for the actions of his lieutenant 27 years ago.

Officer Tyler Blue Dominguez, now 27, learned that it was his own supervisor, 50-year-old Lt. Chris Cano, who helped save his life during his precarious birth.

According to a news release from El Monte police Monday, Dominguez was telling his colleagues the story of his birth, which occurred in the driveway of his childhood El Monte home back in 1993.

Dominguez explained that his umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck during the delivery, prompting his family to call for paramedics.

As he was telling the story, Cano – who had worked in the San Gabriel Valley as a paramedic at the time before becoming an officer in 1997 – realized he was among those who been called to Dominguez's home.

Cano delivered 13 babies during his time as a paramedic, but only one delivery was life-threatening.

He recalled how he freed the umbilical cord from around Dominguez's neck as Dominguez was turning a deep shade of blue, police said.

"Lt. Cano and Officer Dominguez immediately realized that fate had brought them together again," police wrote in a news release. "That's when Officer Dominguez shared that his unique middle name, 'Blue,' came from the blue hue his face and body displayed when he was born."