WEST JORDAN, Utah — A West Jordan middle school student is alive today thanks to what his friend remembered from health class.
During lunch at West Jordan Middle School, Jackson Johnson began to choke on his chicken sandwich and struggled to breathe.
"I was really terrified," said Jackson. "My immediate reaction was to see if I could cough it up into the trash can."
"That didn't work, so I went over to Hunter and did the international sign that I'm choking."
Before realizing anything was seriously wrong, Hunter Olsen says the group of friends were laughing at Jackson thinking something had simply gone down the wrong tube.
"Then he did the sign and his face was a different color and his eyes looked scared, so I did the Heimlich." said Hunter.
Hunter says he learned the Heimlich maneuver in eighth-grade health class, but never thought he would have to use it.
"I kind of knew exactly what to do," said Hunter. "It was kind of 'fight or flight' mode and something just clicked in my brain and I kind of did it."
As for Jackson, he was just happy that his friend paid attention in class.
"I'm very thankful that he knew how to do it."
The ordeal was captured on a school surveillance camera. Watch it here:
