In the midst of a scary situation that could have ended tragically, a 9-year-old took quick action and saved her friend’s life after nearly choking to death.
3rd grader Kori Scott is being called a hero and was honored on Thursday by East Orange Mayor Ted Green for her witty thinking.
Two weeks ago, Scott’s friend began choking in the cafeteria while she was eating a burrito.
“I could just tell because when I saw her starting to swallow, she stopped and started pounding on the table,” the New Jersey student told CBS2.
Scott said her friend then left the Bowser Elementary lunchroom to get a drink of water and followed her. “I came out, she was holding onto a rail,” the third-grader recalled.
“I knew if she was holding onto the railing and she went to go lean her head over, she would have hit her head and she would have passed out… So I pulled her over, did the Heimlich maneuver – one, two, three. But I did it one more time to make sure that she wasn’t choking”
School officials were impressed by Scott’s swift actions and her mother Kiana said her daughter learned the Heimlich maneuver at 3 years old from her father.
Mayor Green said, “Kori’s smart instincts and quick action are the characteristics of a true hero.”
Scott will be mayor-for-the-day on Friday for her bravery. The third grader said her classmates have been requesting her autograph.
