Officer Who Took Heart-Warming Photo With Child He Delivered Dies
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - It was in July of 2016 when Mark Diebold helped a couple deliver their baby at a North Texas gas station. This morning the the Tarrant County Deputy Constable died during tactical team qualifications.
Deputy Diebold had just finished qualifications when it appears that he had a heart attack, but the official cause of death is still unknown, according to the Tarrant County Sheriff's Office. Members of the tactical team immediately started CPR and contacted emergency response for an ambulance. Emergency services arrived and transported him to Alliance Medical Center in Fort Worth, where he was pronounced.
A photo of Diebold and little Evelyn Hall went viral in July of this year. The pic showed the two celebrating the baby girl's birthday with a tea party. The tiny teacups, flowers and big smiles were all captured by a photographer from Coppell.
Back when little Evelyn made her mark on the world, Diebold told the story of the day a black Jeep Cherokee sped past him and he pulled the driver over. Inside the SUV the Constable found driver Caleb Hall and his wife, Destiny, who was in labor.
At the time Diebold said, "All I could do was hold her hand and guide him on what to do." Moments later a surveillance camera at the Quik Stop captured the moment Evelyn was born in the parking lot.
"Personally I needed it. That morning, I needed it more than ever. It was an answered prayer, literally. An answered prayer," said Diebold afterward.
After the birthday photos went viral Diebold talked about that afternoon with KRLD NewsRadio 1080. He said he and his wife saw little Evelyn regularly but were surprised by the pics. "We've been part of her growing up a little bit, not as much as I'd like to, but it's enough to not notice her get so big 'til we saw these new pictures. My wife and I just looked at them in amazement."
Diebold explained that after being involved in Evelyn's birth he went to the hospital to check on the couple and really hit it off with them. He said from that day forward he and his family stayed in touch with the Hall's.
Sheriff Waybourn was asked to speak for the Constable during this time of grief. When asked he said, "We are all one family. No matter what happens we have our brothers and sisters to rely on for support. No only to support each other, but to rise up and support Mark's family. They need us more now than ever. Mark was an amazing person, and his light will be missed."
Deputy Diebold is survived by his wife and children.
