KOMO News (PDN News Partner)
QUILCENE — Two students at Quilcene Elementary School are being credited with saving the life of a fellow classmate who was choking on his lunch.
The group was eating lunch in the lunch room Friday when second-grader Nathan Soderberg noticed his friend Josh in trouble, according to school Principal James Betteley. Nathan alerted his friend, third-grader Richard Lont, that Josh was choking.
Richard jumped up and performed the Heimlich maneuver on Josh, dislodging a piece of hamburger that had become stuck in his wind pipe, Betteley said.
When Betteley asked Richard what happened, he replied: “Not much — Josh was choking and couldn’t breathe, so I got it out. No big deal.”
But Betteley said it was indeed a big deal.
Medics arrived at school after a 9-1-1 call to evaluate Josh and said it was obvious there had been an obstruction, and that he was lucky to have someone perform the maneuver so quickly. Josh’s mother took him to be seen by a doctor and he returned to school later the same day.
Josh was quick to admit the two saved his life, Betteley said.
The school is planning an award for later this month, and will use the opportunity as a learning experience for its students.
“It’s especially powerful when something like this happens,” Betteley said. “Student interest is heightened and they have cause to celebrate something great with one of their own.”
He added the school was “so proud” of both Nathan and Richard for knowing what to do and taking immediate action.
“They are heroes for what they did,” Betteley said.
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