Hero Comedian And Grapevine Contributor Saves Life Of 2 Month Old

“I was walking home in Vesturbærinn when a car rolled down its window and a panicked women with an American accent says to me: “I don’t think my baby is breathing,” says York Underwood about a harrowing experience he had yesterday.

The woman had with her in the car her two month old daughter and the baby girl was not breathing.

“I saw that girl wasn’t breathing and she was blue. I don’t know anything about babies, but I have done CPR, but never on anything this tiny,” says York. “She handed me the baby and I raised her head, took two fingers and pressed on her chest and blew into her mouth and she came back to life and colour came back to her face.”

The doctor caricature

In his everyday York works as a stand-up comedian, writer and Kaffibarinn legend and it is safe to say he had never experienced anything like this mad moment of heroism.

“It was a very surreal experience. There were other people around, but I think she picked me because I had this really big leather bag–that kind of looks like a medical bag–and glasses, so I basically looked like a caricature of a doctor,” says York.

In his mind this brief moment in time felt like a long time. He wasn’t gripped by panic, but strangely calm and in control.

“I only wanted her and her mother to be ok, I didn’t want anything to happen and I didn’t want to hurt her,” he says. “I felt that I needed to help her right there and then because she wasn’t breathing.”

The shock sets in

After life returned to the little girl and ambulance arrived on the scene and took mother and daughter to the hospital. The girl is still in the hospital and is doing well, but why she stopped breathing is still unknown. But as the ambulance drove off the reality of the incident set in.

“I never felt happy afterwards. I felt responsibility because I started something,” he says. “I just got pulled out of my regular routine, it felt like a daydream. After they left I must have come out of shock because I started freezing and shaking.”

Redemption for the past

Despite the undeniable act of heroism, York isn’t exactly taking on the moniker.

“I don’t know if many people would agree that I’m a hero, but I did the right thing at the right time–which is unusual for me,” says York. “It’s good that she’s ok, but I’m not sure that this clears me of all my bad things in the past, but maybe a big chunk of them.