This teacher saved her student from choking!

Six-year-old Charlotte Swinyer popped a piece of ice in her mouth on a school field trip. Seconds later, it got stuck in her throat. Choking, she ran to her teacher, who switched into the role of lifesaver!

- Kellie B. Gormly

When a Petrova Elementary School morning field trip to the Ice Palace, in Saranac Lake, New York, was winding down, the first-graders were lining up to head back to the school. Suddenly, 6-year-old Charlotte Swinyer ran to her teacher, Emily Doyle-Shubert. Frantically pointing at her throat, she was panicked.

Oh my God, what is wrong with Charlotte? Emily’s mind raced.

But then Charlotte started wheezing and Emily realized: Her little student was choking. Emily instinctively began slapping Charlotte’s back, but it didn’t help. Charlotte was gasping, unable to breathe.

Besides being a first-grade teacher, Emily had been a high school soccer coach, which required her to be trained in first aid, including CPR and the Heimlich maneuver. But she had never had to use her skills before. Her heart pounding, Emily sprang into action.