The squeaking noise was a stridor, a sound of air whistling through a blocked throat.
From the abcnews.go.com
Stridor is a sign of upper airways obstruction and is a surgical emergency.
From the en.wikipedia.org
If the patient's stridor becomes quieter, obstruction is likely to follow, and thus intubation should be expedited even further.
From the en.wikipedia.org
Epiglottitis commonly affects children, and it is associated with fever, difficulty in swallowing, drooling, hoarseness of voice, and typically stridor.