A real hero: 7-year-old boy saved a choking classmate using the Heimlich maneuver
'06.07.2022'
Nadezhda Verbitskaya
A 7-year-old elementary school student is hailed as a hero after he saved the life of his classmate during lunch using the Heimlich maneuver, reports New York Post.
David Diaz Jr., a second grader at Woodrow Wilson Elementary School in Binghamton, went into action when he noticed a friend choking on a pizza at school.
He said he learned this life-saving move from The Good Doctor. He watched it with his father David Diaz Sr. for the last year.
“If someone is suffocating or in danger, you should always rescue them,” said David Diaz Jr.
Young David said he wasn't sure he could save his friend. But he hoped he could, because at that time he was closer to the breathless student than his teachers.
Woodrow Wilson Elementary School second grade teacher Christine Korba said David was sitting across from a student who was panting.
“Adults walked around the dining room, watching,” Korba recalled. “David ran behind the breathless student and did the Heimlich maneuver. I came right after it happened. And checked on the boy,” Korba added. “The nurse discharged him, the parents were contacted.”
When Korba spoke to David, she learned that he had seen the Heimlich maneuver on a TV show. And I decided to remember it, because it was important.
The Heimlich maneuver, also known as the abdominal push, is a first aid procedure. The person must apply pressure between the victim's navel and chest to remove the obstruction in the victim's windpipe. People can perform the Heimlich procedure in case of choking.
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David's courage was appreciated. On June 13, Binghamton School District Superintendent Dr. Tonya Thompson and New York State Senator J. Fred Akshar paid him a visit.
For his heroic deed, he was awarded the New York State Senate Commendation Award.
“I am very proud of my son,” Diaz Sr. said. “He is an angel in my eyes. If he wants to be a doctor when he grows up, I'll be happy to help him. But it really depends on him.”
