A newborn baby that was found and rescued from a trash compactor in Everett, Washington late Friday was expected to survive, according to police.
Paula, a maintenance supervisor at the Mirabella Apartments was taking her garbage out and nearly started the trash compactor when she heard the baby’s cries, CNN reported.
“She immediately, in her dress, jumped into this garbage compactor and started just pulling bags out,” Jeff Meyers, Paula’s boyfriend, said.
Police were called to the apartment building where Paula eventually found the newborn baby, with its umbilical cord still attached, under several layers of trash, local TV station KOMO reported.
“Finally, I heard the saddest, crying scream from her saying, ‘It’s a real baby!'” Meyers told KOMO. “I mean, thank God Paula didn’t hit that button. I mean, had that baby not cried one second before she hit that button, we’d be out here for a much worse story.”
The baby was rushed to a local hospital, where officials said it was expected to survive.
Less than a mile from where the baby was found is a safe haven fire station where it could have been left with no questions asked, according to KOMO.
Police were trying to determine how the baby got into in the trash compactor and have asked for the public’s help.