A 9-year-old fourth-grader is set to be honored for her bravery after performing the Heimlich maneuver to save a choking classmate. Essie Collier’s quick thinking likely saved her classmate’s life, according to The Associated Press.
The incident occurred during lunchtime at Racine’s Fratt Elementary School on Tuesday. And Essie is said to have helped her classmate when she noticed she was in pain. At the time of the incident, the students were eating lunch in a classroom.
“I just saw that she was holding her neck, and I rushed up there as fast as I can,” Essie said.
Samantha Bradshaw, a teacher at the school, stated that Essie performed the Heimlich maneuver on her choking classmate after wrapping her arms around her. Her classmate was eventually able to breathe normally after her airway was cleared.
“I have never seen a student react in that way before,” said Bradshaw.
Essie stated that she learned how to perform the Heimlich maneuver when she was seven years old. She stated that she had watched the tutorial video on YouTube and that she had not forgotten the lesson.
Essie will be recognized for her bravery by the Racine Unified School Board at a meeting later this month.