Senator Mayer and County Executive Latimer Recognize Bee-Line Bus Driver for Saving an Infant During Medical Emergency

State Senator Shelley B. Mayer and County Executive George Latimer recognized Anthony McPhail, a Bee-Line bus driver, for his heroic efforts to save an infant who was a passenger on his route. 

One day on his coffee break during his regular route, Mr. McPhail heard a woman shouting “my baby can’t breathe, my baby can’t breathe.” He immediately ran to help. Mr. McPhail performed CPR dislodging phlegm from the infant’s throat, and then the infant went into a seizure. Mr. McPhail knew what to do from his training as a bodyguard, and he massaged the infant’s body since the limbs tighten up during a seizure. A few minutes later, the infant stopped seizing and an EMT arrived. Mr. McPhail went back to work after the incident and finished his shift. 

Mr. McPhail was recognized with a NYS Senate Proclamation, a Westchester County Proclamation, a Proclamation from the Westchester County Board of Legislators on behalf of Legislator Ruth Walter, and a NYS Assembly Proclamation from Assemblymember Nader Sayegh.

State Senator Shelley B. Mayer said, “Anthony McPhail exhibits his heroism every day as an essential worker. Our communities couldn’t function without bus drivers like Mr. McPhail putting themselves on the line to do their job and get other essential workers who rely on the Bee-Line Bus System to work. Today, we honor Mr. McPhail for saving an infant during a medical emergency. We are forever grateful for this baby boy’s life that he saved, and for his everyday service to our community as an essential worker.”

County Executive George Latimer said, “We are grateful for our Bee-Line Bus Drivers who have been on the frontline of the Covid-19 pandemic. They make a difference in the lives of our residents every day. On this day, we owe Anthony McPhail a debt of gratitude for his heroic actions to save a baby’s life. He went above and beyond his duty, truly exemplifying the best of our County workforce.”
Bee-Line Bus Driver Anthony McPhail said, "I'm not a hero. I just did it for the baby and for the baby's mother. I'd like to thank the County and everyone else for this recognition, but I'm not a hero." 

Westchester County Legislator Ruth Walter said, “I would like to thank Mr. McPhail for his quick thinking and action that ultimately saved a child's life. He should be celebrated not only because of the expert CPR he performed, but because of his instinct to drop what he was doing and help his neighbor. This kind of immediate, intuitive response to a call for help makes us all proud.”
Mr. McPhail’s heroism occurred right before the Covid-19 pandemic broke out. The original recognition for his acts had to be postponed until now. The event took place at the Liberty Lines facility in Yonkers. 

Prior to his time as a bus driver for Liberty Lines, Mr. McPhail was a bodyguard for Warner Brothers. Mr. McPhail’s father and two uncles were also Liberty Lines drivers, and his favorite thing about his job is interacting with the riders. When he’s not working, Mr. McPhail keeps busy with his 6 children and 7 grandchildren.