A Scott County Central High School student put his newly learned knowledge of the Heimlich maneuver to use to save his choking friend’s life during a recent lunch period at their school.
When freshman Mason Ballew saw fellow freshman Aiden Tanchek, point to his throat during their lunch period Jan. 18, Ballew said he knew his friend was choking.
“Nobody was helping him,” Ballew recalled. “So, he stood up, and I stood up and went up from behind him and did the Heimlich.”
Ballew said he tried the maneuver a couple times before high school science teacher Heather Knuth, who was on lunch duty that day, came over to help him.
“It was just a crazy experience,” Ballew said.
Knuth said she was standing in the middle of the cafeteria, monitoring the students, when she noticed several students standing around the front table.
“Then I noticed Aiden’s face becoming very, very red — more than I’ve ever seen another person’s face turn red,” Knuth said. “And then I saw arms wrapped around him, which ended up being Mason’s arms.”
When she noticed what was happening, Knuth said she immediately ran across the cafeteria to Tanchek and took over doing the Heimlich maneuver.
“I did that a few times, and it started to break up, and then I began patting his back to make sure that he was starting to breathe,” Knuth said.
Tanchek said he remembered when he was eating chicken and started to choke, and Knuth and Ballew began performing the Heimlich maneuver on him.
“Honestly, I didn’t know if it was working or not because I started to faint,” Tancheck recalled. “I really did. There were little black dots appearing in my vision, and I felt I was starting to faint.”
But then, all of a sudden, Tanchek said, the maneuver helped him to clear his throat.
“Honestly, I don’t know what I would have done (had Ballew not noticed him choking and started the Heimlich),” Tanchek said. “I probably would have died.”
Tanchek said he didn’t know how Ballew did it, but he thanked him for saving his life.
“It was very scary,” the 15-year-old said. “I’ll admit. Death is not a thing I want.”
Following the incident, Tanchek said he went to the nurse’s office to get checked out and returned the rest of his day, which was emotional.
“He saved my life. I don’t even know how I can repay him at this point,” Tanchek said.
Ballew, who is also 15, said Tanchek can just return the favor some day.
“I’m just glad I could help him because I was glad I was eating lunch that day with him, sitting beside him,” Ballew said of his friend, who normally sits at a different table across the cafeteria.
Like Tanchek, Ballew said the experience also impacted him, but he didn’t realize it until he got home later that day and started thinking how things could have ended not so happily.
“I don’t really like doing stuff in front of people, but I couldn’t stop myself from helping him,” Ballew said. “I just got up there and starting doing the Heimlich, and everybody was staring at me and it kind of made me feel weird, but I just kept on helping.”
Ballew said he’s also thankful to Knuth for assisting him.
“Mason told me he first saw Aiden grabbing at his throat and then started doing the Heimlich on him, which was amazing,” Knuth said.
When Knuth asked Ballew how he knew what to do, he said he learned the Heimlich maneuver in family and consumer science teacher Tori Tharp’s health class this year.
“We never got the test dummies to do it. I just went off what she told us. I went off that and I guess I did it the right way,” Ballew said of the maneuver. “At the time, I was like: ‘When am I ever gonna need this because I don’t think I’m ever gonna save a life? But then a couple months later, I needed it.’”
Ballew has been called a hero by some students and school officials over the past few days.
“It makes me happy for someone to call me that and I feel good about it,” he said.
Knuth praised Ballew for his quick action.
“Mason was the first one to respond, and I am extremely proud of him for doing so. “The school is really proud of Mason,” Knuth said. “That is something that not everyone has the capability of doing, and so I am just beyond proud of how he responded in that situation.
She continued: “I am so happy, and I think we’re very blessed that Aiden is OK. I think it, hopefully, shows parents that we’re not here just to teach your kids. We’re here to keep your children safe as well.”
Tanchek said he remains grateful to his teacher and his friend.
“I’m just grateful to be alive, to be honest,” he said.
He said he has also learned something through the experience.
“I personally never took a health class,” Tanchek said. “This has made me aware that I’m taking health next year. Definitely. That’s what I’m doing.”
While another lesson of this story could be to pay attention in class, Ballew said he thinks he knows a greater one.
“Don’t be scared to just get up and do what needs to be done,” Ballew said. “If you see somebody hurting and you can do something about it to help them, always do it.”