A Virginia first grade teacher says she is alive today because three of her students refused to panic when she suddenly began choking in class.
WFMZ reported that Madison Swift, a first-year teacher at Lakeview Elementary School in Colonial Heights, began choking while working with a student during lunch.
The school is located about 20 minutes south of Richmond.
Swift said the incident happened without warning. She was eating in her classroom when she realized she could not breathe.
Three of her first graders, Kolton, Dereck, and Bryson, recognized something was wrong and jumped into action.
“She choked and she cannot breathe,” first grader Dereck Contreras said.
Bryson Doss said Swift’s face and eyes “started going red.”
Kolton Hersh said he “pat her on her back to get the food out of her throat” as the classroom shifted from routine calm to an emergency.
Swift credited the children for their bravery, telling WFMZ, “They 100 percent saved my life.”
She added that the bond she formed with the students early in the year might have helped guide the situation.
“At the beginning of the year, I built that trust and love relationship, so they saw their teacher in crisis and they just kind of jumped into action right away.”
WFMZ reported that the three boys worked as a team in the moments that followed.
Dereck pushed the emergency call button on the wall, while Bryson ran next door to get help from another teacher.
Kolton focused on trying to dislodge the food as Swift struggled to breathe.
Their quick actions worked. The teacher was able to clear her airway as staffers rushed into the room.
Swift said she is grateful to be alive and grateful for the bravery of her students.
Lakeview Elementary School later posted an image of the boys on Facebook.
“We are so proud of these first graders!” the school wrote. “Thank you to our Lakeview Heroes!”
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