A third grader has been honored as a hero by his school and local fire department after springing into action to save his friend from choking.
Garrett Brown, 8, was sitting near classmate Cashton York during lunch at Lakeview Elementary School in Norman, Oklahoma, on Sept. 15, music teacher Jordan Nguyen told “Good Morning America” in an interview published this week.
“It was chicken nugget day, and the kids absolutely love it,” Nguyen said. “But during that lunch, a teacher’s and parent’s worst nightmare happened.”
The teacher was across the cafeteria when Cashton started choking and “couldn’t breathe,” she said. She rushed over as students yelled for help, but Garrett took things into his own hands in the meantime.
“Instead of shouting, he jumped to the other side of the table, went behind Cashton, and did a couple of thrusts of the Heimlich maneuver, and it only took about two thrusts, and he was able to dislodge the food,” she said. “By the time I reached Cashton, the food had already dislodged, and he was breathing again.”
Garrett told local news station KOCO News 5 that he learned the life-saving first aid procedure from his father.
“My dad taught me,” he said. “I was choking, and he saved me and taught me to save someone else.”
Garrett received a “hero award” at a school assembly where the two boys hugged as the audience clapped.
Officials from the Norman fire and police department also attended to celebrate Garrett’s actions.
“The student says he learned the maneuver from his father, and we applaud the entire family for their safety preparedness efforts,” the fire department wrote in a Facebook post. “Congratulations, Garrett, thank you for your swift and courageous actions!”