PARIS, Ky. (LEX 18) — A student at Paris High School was on a field trip today, and that’s something that didn’t seem possible 24 hours earlier when she began choking inside the school’s cafeteria.
“Her face was really, really dark and getting darker. She couldn’t speak, so that was kind of the first trigger,” said Assistant Principal Rob McCann.
Mr. McCann has a background in biology, so he knew exactly what was happening. Without panicking, or even making enough of a ruckus to get the attention of most others in the cafeteria, McCann performed the Heimlich maneuver on the student in distress.
“Actually did it three times and the third time she finally, not sure there’s a good word for it, but she puked out the food,” he explained in detail.
But McCann wasn’t convinced the episode was over. He wanted to make certain that her airway was all clear.
“So I told her I was going to do a finger sweep and I reached in there and grabbed the rest of the food,” he continued.
Mr. McCann said he never before had to perform the Heimlich maneuver, but he did spend a dozen years as a lifeguard as a younger man. That experience undoubtedly served him well in this situation.
“Just see the situation and react,” he said when asked if he was scared for the student’s life.
McCann said the student was a little rattled by the incident, and he reached out to check on her later in the day. He also called her parents to let them know what happened. They thanked him for what he did.
Teachers are known for having a huge impact on their students’ lives, and McCann feels that everyone on staff at Paris High School is doing just that. His impact just happened to go a little above and beyond. His boss, Steve Ely, in casual conversation, said of McCann that he’s the best hire he’s made.
There’s at least one student inside that building who would wholeheartedly agree.
