FRIENDSHIP, Wis. (Gray News) – A bus driver in Wisconsin is being called a hero after she stepped in to save a student from choking, according to school officials.
The Adams-Friendship Area School District said the life-saving actions of Jamie Smoczyk were caught on camera on Friday, Jan. 10.
During the after school bus route that day, a student seated in the middle of the bus began choking on something lodged in her throat.
The girl’s brother noticed she needed help and quickly alerted Smoczyk, who quickly pulled the bus over.
Once the bus was stopped safely, school officials said she approached the girl and asked “Are you choking?”
When she determined the object was not going to come out on its own, Smoczyk performed the Heimlich maneuver on her and successfully cleared the blockage.
When she was certain the girl was breathing again, Smoczyk then calmed and comforted her by letting the student sit on her lap and reassuring her.
The girl’s brother also helped calm her down, and the other students on the bus remained quiet and patient throughout the ordeal, according to school officials.
When the situation was back in control, the driver reported the incident and even spoke with the girl’s mother at her stop.
“Jamie’s quick thinking, training, and care combined with the support of her young passengers, embody the spirit of the Adams-Friendship community,” the district said in a release. “We take pride in wrapping services and support around our students, from drivers to teachers to assistants.”
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