A five-year-old U.K. boy is a hero after he saved his little brother from choking by applying the first-aid training he learned at school.
Oliver Bevans and his three-year-old brother Stanley were at their grandparents' house when the incident occurred. According to The Sentinel, their grandmother had briefly left the dining room when Stanley began choking on a meatball.
Luckily, Oliver was quick to act and hit his brother on the back three times to dislodge the food from his throat.
When the boys' grandmother, Nan Angela Bevans, returned to the room, Oliver told her that Stanley had been "sick." The 61-year-old only later realized that the five-year-old meant his brother had choked.
"I haven't done any first-aid training and I have never had to do that with my own children," Bevans said, according to Mirror U.K. "I said to Oliver that he saved Stanley's life, and told him what a clever boy he is."
"He reacted so quickly that I didn't even know it had happened," she added. "Oliver did save his life and I'm so proud of him."
Oliver is a student at St. Thomas' Catholic Primary School in Canterbury, England, where he learned first-aid training from St John Ambulance earlier this month.
Speaking about the course, teacher Kirsty Mellor said, "They told the children how to deal with someone who was choking and demonstrated what to do. We are really proud of what [Oliver] did. Children are capable of learning at the age of five and this training should be brought into all schools."
Children are capable of learning at the age of five and this training should be brought into all schools.
Signs of choking can differ between adults, children and babies. However, some signs include coughing, gagging, wheezing, crying or turning blue.
According to St. John Ambulance, the technique you use to save someone from choking will depend on their age. However, in general, the first step is to give a few sharp blows between the shoulder blades, and if that fails, the next step is to try abdominal thrusts, also known as the Heimlich Maneuver.
Oliver's story proves emergencies can happen anywhere at any time, which is why it's always good to be prepared.
Earlier this week, celebrity parents Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively encouraged all parents to get first-aid training in CPR, specifically for toddlers and infants.
In an Instagram post, Lively wrote: "For those of you who haven't done it, you will love it. It's so helpful by giving you knowledge, tools, and some peace of mind."
Visit St John Ambulance for more information on what to do if a child is choking, or visit the Canadian Red Cross to find courses in CPR.
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