WASHINGTON — Demonstrating the Heimlich maneuver wasn't on teacher JaNiece Jenkins' lesson plan for Tuesday. But when one of her students started choking, her quick thinking saved his life.
In a video captured by the surveillance footage at East Orange Community Charter School in East Orange, N.J., one of Jenkins' 9-year-old students is seen struggling to open a water bottle, eventually trying to twist off the lid with his teeth. As the third grader squeezes the bottle and tilts his head back, the pressure finally squeezes the cap off, lodging the cap in his throat.
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Panicked, the student runs over to a sink trying to cough out the lid only to realize it's not coming out. He then walks over to Jenkins' desk where he points at his throat signaling for help.
Without hesitation, Jenkins gets up and springs into action. After giving him a few good squeezes using the Heimlich maneuver, the boy manages to cough up the lid.
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The video has since gone viral, with social media praising Jenkins' quick thinking. On Twitter, Rep. Donald Payne Jr. called Jenkins a "community hero."
In an interview with NJ Advanced Media, Jenkins said that she first learned how to perform the Heimlich and CPR when she started teaching pre-school several years ago, but she recently took a first aid refresher course.
