A teacher saved the life of a schoolboy when he choked on a sweet – which he was given as a reward for his smart uniform.
Korben Edwards, 11, popped the Werther’s Original into his mouth during a science lesson but it got stuck in his throat when a friend made him laugh.
He started struggling for breath and went to his teacher who patted him on the back but failed to dislodge the sweet.
The teacher then rushed Korben to the classroom next-door where they knew trained first-aider Naomi Chillingworth was teaching.
She spent an anxious three minutes attempting various manoeuvres on the gasping youngster before the sweet finally “flew” out of his mouth.
A fellow member of staff at Clarendon Academy in Trowbridge, Wilts. was already calling for an ambulance as fears increased for Korben.
Naomi, who is also a St. John Ambulance volunteer, said: “We did five back blows, but it didn’t dislodge, so we did five abdominal thrusts.
“We ended up repeating the cycle three times before we managed to dislodge it.
“It was stuck there for more than three minutes and we were starting to get really concerned, but luckily it came out when we were on the phone to the ambulance. ”
Korben Edwards, a keen junior footballer, said: “I was so scared when the sweet got stuck because I couldn’t breathe, so I ran up to my teacher.
“It felt like the teachers were trying to get it out for a really long time and I was starting to get worried, but then suddenly the sweet just flew out.
“I felt very relieved but then I had a really sore throat afterwards.
“I can’t thank the teacher enough for helping me.”
Korben was given a check up by an emergency care practitioner who arrived at the school before given the rest of the day off.
His mother, Karen, said: “What happened to Korben is every mother’s worst nightmare – the teachers told me it was very close.
“Korben’s words were ‘All I could remember was thinking I wasn’t going to see my mum again and I am going to die’.
“If it wasn’t for the teacher he would not be here today.
“I would like to thank the school and praise them.”
Korben returned to school as normal on Monday – after avoiding sweets over the weekend.
