North East ISD police officer saves choking student

SAN ANTONIO – A North East ISD police officer is being named a hero for saving a middle school student from choking on his lunch.

This week, student David Smith was choking on food when he flagged down Officer Leticia Sanchez for help during the lunch rush, according to North East ISD.

The district said Sanchez quickly jumped into action and performed the life-saving Heimlich maneuver, clearing the student’s airway.

“It was a very scary situation to see David choking and approach me for help,” said Sanchez. “I knew I had to act fast to help David. Performing the Heimlich maneuver for the first time and seeing David take a breath again was such a relief. It’s part of my job, but I’m grateful that David trusted in me to help him.”

Once David was breathing on his own again, Sanchez escorted him to the nurse’s office to make sure he was OK, according to North East ISD.