Lessons learned as a junior lifeguard down the shore helped one teenager save his classmate’s life last month at a school in Philadelphia.
When 13-year-old Billy Carberry, an 8th grader at Our Lady of Calvary School in Northeast Philadelphia, saw his Pre-K classmate was choking, he dropped everything and leaped into action.
On Thursday, Oct. 3, during lunchtime, officials said Billy noticed fellow student Christopher was choking, he was waving his hands in distress, and his face was red.
Billy performed the Heimlich maneuver on Christopher, and a piece of fruit leather dislodged, enabling him to breathe again.
When asked how he felt after helping Christopher, Billy said he felt scared but was determined not to show it.
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Billy's knowledge of the Heimlich maneuver comes from his training as a Junior Lifeguard with the Wildwood Beach Patrol.
He participated in the program for several summers. "I learned a lot about safety and how to help others,” Billy explained.
After the incident, teachers and parents and even Wildwood Beach Patrol Captain Ed Schneider commended Billy's heroic efforts.
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He even received an award that read in part:
"Billy Carberry acted quickly when a pre-kindergarten boy began choking at the Calvary School, using the Heimlich maneuver, his action dislodged the object from the boy's airway. Thanks to Billy's knowledge, a potentially tragic situation was averted."
"A great deal of credit goes to Junior Lifeguard Instructor Jack Rauchut and his team for teaching junior lifeguards how to recognize dangerous situations," said Schneider. "Billy is a kid who paid attention and prevented a critical incident."
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