This sixth-grader saved his friend's life thanks to first-aid training he got during class

It was a story that could have ended much worse. Grade 6 student Tony Elsouryof Windsor, Ont., was chewingas he got upand moments later, his friendwas giving him thelife-saving Heimlich manoeuvre.

It's something students were prepared for thanks to in-class first-aid training at his school, cole lmentaire catholique Sainte-Thrse.

"When it happened, it felt like, you know when you're underwater deep and you can't breathe anymore," said Tony, 12, aboutthe incident last Thursday.

"When he was helping me, it felt like I was trying to swim up. Whenhe saved me, it felt like my head popped out of the water and I actually got the chance to breathe."

Tony said it started when he took a quick bite of pasta as he was getting up to use the bathroom before recess. Realizingall of a sudden he couldn'tinhale, he turned back to his classmatesknowing they were all trained in first aid.

Tony saidhe was scaredbut knew he had to calm down so his friends could help.

At first, he said,some students thought he was joking around. But his good friend, Zane Bassam, saidhe noticed hereally needed help.

"His face was like really red. He had his hands around his neck and hecouldn't breathe, and there was spit coming down his mouth and all that," said Zane."That's when I knew."

Zane saidhe directed another student to get the teacher from the neighbouring classroomand started first aid himself:First, a series of five hard back blows that didn't work, then theHeimlich manoeuvre.

"I was really anxious," Zanesaid. "But I knew that I didn't want it to get any worse, so I just went straight ahead."

Students credit teacher with first-aid knowledge

Student Dominic Vitalewas the one who ran to the class next door to get the teacher.

"[I was thinking], 'Oh my God he's really choking,'" Dominic said.

"Iwouldn't have thought this would actually happen this year, but it did."

The Heimlich manoeuvre is a series of five abdominal thrusts, performed by wrapping your arms around someone from behind themand pushing hard, with both hands and a quick upward motion, into their stomach to dislodge any object trapped in thethroat. It works by using the remaining air in a person's lungs to dislodge the object.

Moments later, TonywasOKand gave his friend a hug.

The students knew how to provide this life-saving level of first aid because oftheir teacher, Mary Elizabeth Rousseau.

"She wanted to teach us just in case anything happens," Zane said.

At the beginning of the year, all thestudents received two days of in-class first-aid training, a combination of two courses theRed CrossStay Safe first-aid program for nine-to 13-year-olds, and the organization'sbabysitting course,Rousseau said.

Rousseau creditsthe school's principal for giving the green light for the training.

Grade 6 students at Sainte-Thrseare "lunch monitors" for students in younger grades.

"What was really important in my mind was that they not be in a situation where there's an emergency ... obviously choking is a big risk at lunchtime," Rousseau said.

"I wanted them to be prepared."

Getting students age-appropriate training early on is importantto building confidence in first aid, Rousseau said.

"When they come into these situations, they're prepared, they're confident, they're not scared, they won't hesitate to jump in and act, which is all part of creating a safe community."

Rousseau saidshe's thankful her students knew what to do in an emergency.

"I try not to think about [what could have happened], and I just like to focus on the fact that they knew what to do and they acted."

Instead, she encourages everyone to take a basic first-aid course.

"It should be in all of our schools, not just the minimum two people trained, but every single person on staff should be trained in first aid."

Rousseau saidZanehas been nominated for a Red Cross award.

Tony said he's still thinking about the incident, knowing it could have been worse.

"I'm thinking like, if he didn't know what to do, I could have probably still been in the hospital."

Both boys saidit's a lesson that will stay with them for life and they're thankful their teacher gave them the training.

"This is something that I'll always keep in my head because it's really important," added Zane.

"If something ever happens again, I'll be ready to save someone."