Yahoo Finance 8-Year-Old Boy Honored with 'Hero Award' for Saving Classmate from Choking on a Chicken Nugget
Norman Fire Department/Facebook
An elementary school student in Oklahoma is being hailed a hero after stepping in to save a classmate from choking.
It was chicken nugget day at Lakeview Elementary School in Norman on Sept. 15, a day "the kids absolutely love," music teacher Jordan Nguyen said told Good Morning America.
But the mood suddenly shifted at lunchtime when Cashton York, a third grader, began choking on his food. Nguyen called it "a teacher's and parent's worst nightmare."
That's when Garrett Brown leapt into action and administered the Heimlich maneuver.
Norman Fire Department/Facebook
Garrett told NBC affiliate WRAL-TV that his father taught him the life-saving measure after the student choked on an object when he was younger.
"He taught me how to do it in case anybody else is [choking]," he told the outlet.
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Garrett was given a "hero award" at a special assembly last week, as seen in footage shared by ABC affiliate KOCO-TV.
At one point, Cashton thanked Garrett in front of the crowd before the two gave each other a hug.
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Justin Garrett of the Norman Fire Department and Jenny Bryan of the Norman Police Department helped honor Garrett at Friday's assembly, according to a post on the NFD's Facebook page.
The department praised the third grader "for jumping into action to save the life of another student," adding, "Congratulations Garrett, thank you for your swift and courageous actions!"
"Way to go," police wrote in their own Facebook post.
"Both departments told Garrett that they have a job lined up for him whenever he gets older," Nguyen told GMA.
York's parents are among those lauding Garrett's efforts. The student's mother told WRAL-TV "there are not enough words" to express how "grateful" she is.
"That was extremely scary, to know that in a matter of seconds my child could have choked to death on food at school, when you're not around," she told the outlet.
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Now, Lakeview staff are planning "basic, kid-friendly" first aid classes for students to take at the school, Nguyen said, per GMA's report.
"That way, if they are out somewhere or if they're home alone, or if they're home with their siblings and something does happen, they'll know what to do," she added.
