There’s a video that’s gone viral of a New Jersey teacher saving a choking student. While that happened miles away, here in Central Texas, one teacher did the same.
AUSTIN, Texas — A New Jersey teacher is being called a hero after saving one of her students from choking on a bottle cap. Here in Central Texas, we have our very own hero as well. At Barbara Jordan Elementary, fifth-grade teacher Jose Rodriguez saved one of his students’ life right before spring break.
“I was teaching science,” said Rodriguez. “I was writing on the board, giving the class. All of a sudden, I just saw the student gasping and choking. So when I turned around, I saw him. I saw his face. That’s when I knew that he was in trouble.”
Rodriguez ran to his student, Mario, and began to perform the Heimlich maneuver. After performing three abdominal thrusts, he realized the student was still in trouble. He continued trying but wasn’t successful.
“I saw the student’s face,” he added. “After being without oxygen for certain seconds, I got … more worried for his safety.”
Rodriguez still didn’t know what was stuck in Mario’s throat. He ended up discovering it was a bottle cap.
“I spoke to the kids,” said Rodriguez. “They usually have the water, and they open it slightly. Then they try to squeeze the water from it so it’ll squirt … That’s what he did, he squished it, and I guess it just, like, the water pressure, just launched it straight to his throat.”
Rodriguez eventually positioned his hands a little higher, performed an abdominal thrust and was finally able to get it out.
“[Mario] wasn’t talking,” said Rodriguez. “He was in shock.”
The principal at Barbara Jordan Elementary, Adrienne Williams, is proud of how quickly Rodriguez responded.
“I don’t think anybody understood the gravity of what had happened until the firefighter walked out, he turned to Mr. Rodriguez, and he said, ‘How did it feel that you saved a life today,'” she said
Williams is thankful everyone left unharmed.
“I was very happy that he was there,” she added. “Oftentimes, in that situation, people get nervous and they freeze. But he responded very quickly. He was calm. He made sure the students were safe, and he kept going.”
Rodriguez is happy Mario is safe. He attributes his quick response to training from when he was in the Army. He is now advocating for Austin ISD to push for all teachers to be CPR certified.
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