Unbelievable moment hero teen saves friend from choking with Heimlich Maneuver during school lunch
Niamh Shackleton
Featured Image Credit: FOX13
The actions of a heroic teenager were caught on camera as he used the Heimlich Maneuver to save his friend who was choking.
The scary ordeal took place in 2020 while the two friends were having their lunch at West Jordan middle school in Utah.
Hunter Olsen sprung into action during his school lunch when his pal Jackson Johnson began choking on his chicken sandwich.
The whole thing was caught on a school surveillance camera, and Hunter's heroics have since been shared worldwide. Take a look:
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In a bid to help Jackson, Hunter sprung into action and performed the Heimlich Maneuver, successfully removing the lodged piece of food from his friend's throat.
In the shocking video, Jackson can be seen eating his lunch he points at his throat and gets up to walk over to the bin to try split the food out.
His friends that were sitting with him simply watched and laughed as the teenager was coughing and spluttering, but when Jackson came back to the table, they realised something was really wrong.
Hunter then rushed to give him the Heimlich Maneuver and, after several dramatic squeezes, he managed to dislodge the food from his throat.
Elsewhere, another member of the group had run for help.
Amazingly, Hunter had learnt how to do the life-saving procedure in an eighth grade health class and admitted he never thought he'd need to use it.
Recalling the scary ordeal, Jackson told FOX13: "I was really terrified. My immediate reaction was to see if I could cough it up into the trash can.
"That didn't work, so I went over to Hunter and did the international sign that I'm choking."
As seen in the dramatic footage, the 'international sign' that Jackson was referring to pointing to his throat to signal he was struggling to breathe.
As to how he knew what to do to save his pal, Hunter said that 'something just clicked in [his] brain'.
He told the news outlet: "I kind of knew exactly what to do. It was kind of 'fight or flight' mode and something just clicked in my brain and I kind of did it."
The video has been reposted many times on social media, with millions all around the world viewing the heroics.
"What a hero," one person commented on the clip, as another wrote in agreement: "That's not a friend that's a brother".
A third went on: "Dope !! This kid had a lot of emotional control, he was calm, took action without rushing the one in danger and proceeded with care!! Respect !! 10/10".
Everyone needs a friend like Hunter.