Washington 8-year-old girl saves choking friend with Heimlich maneuver

Samantha Kelley demonstrates the Heimlich on her teddy bear. Image: King 5

A quick acting 8-year-old girl is being credited with saving her choking friend’s life when she jumped into action and administered the Heimlich maneuver.

Samantha Kelley of Puyallup, Wash., was playing with a friend at her home, when the friend began choking on a tangerine slice, according to King 5.

“I had just grabbed a movie for us to watch and I made her laugh with one of my jokes,” Kelley told the news station.

And when her friend began gasping for air, Kelley kept her cool and went behind her friend and started the Heimlich, which involves the rescuer thrusting with their hands at the base of the victim’s diaphragm, forcing compressed air up and out of the lungs, hopefully dislodging any foreign objects.

In this case, it did, and Kelley’s friend ejected the tangerine and was fine.

Not only did Kelley earn kudos and a courage award at her school, she’s also on a mission to make sure all of her friends know the lifesaving technique.

The Heimlich maneuver is one of the most simple first-aid procedures, and is the only first-aid technique for choking recommended by the American Red Cross and the American Heart Association.

“Anyone can learn it, even 4-year-olds,” Kelley said.

Kelley told King 5 that her current goal is to become CPR certified.