The caller told 911 dispatchers that they thought the girl was sleeping until they realized she wasn’t breathing.
LENOIR, N.C. — A newly released 911 call is giving more insight into the death of a 16-month-old girl at a Caldwell County day care.
It happened earlier this week at Creative Beginnings in Lenoir. The caller is heard telling 911 that she thought the child was sleeping but realized she wasn’t breathing. The call paints a chaotic and tragic picture of the moments after the toddler was discovered to be unresponsive.
“We have a child that’s not breathing and she’s turning blue,” the caller says.
The caller, presumed to be an employee, was walked through CPR by a dispatcher, who asked if the facility had a defibrillator, and the caller said no. It was also the baby’s first day at day care, and about seven minutes into the call, the employee revealed the child’s mother hadn’t been contacted.
The caller then said their breaths weren’t going in, telling 911 that the child’s jaw was locked and her tongue was “thick.”
Multiple agencies responded to the call. First responders immediately administered life-saving measures, but the child was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at a nearby hospital. Alexander Coffey, an employee of the day care, was arrested and charged with involuntary manslaughter. She’s being held under a $500,000 bond.
Creative Beginnings acknowledged the incident on Facebook with a statement.
“We are deeply saddened by the loss of one of our sweet little angels at Creative Beginnings of Lenoir,” the statement reads. “Our hearts are broken, and we’re struggling to find the right words in the face of such sorrow.
The day care has been fully cooperative with the investigation. State inspection records show that in August 2024, not all staff members were properly documented as certified in first aid and CPR. On Wednesday, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services issued an administrative action against the day care. The department suspended Creative Beginnings’ license and ordered the facility to close down at the end of the day.
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