SAN ANTONIO - Six year old Jasiah Rubalcava considers himself a saver, though most people call him a hero, after rescuing his friend with the Heimlich Maneuver during lunch last week at West Avenue Elementary School.
Jasiah, sitting across from six year old Nicolas Carvajal in the cafeteria, noticed his friend choking on a chip and couldn't speak.
Jasiah says he ran around the table and grabbed Nicholas by the waist and performed the Heimlich Maneuver. Jasiah can't even pronounce it, but was able to handle the technique to help his friend cough up food stuck in his throat.
It's not something he learned in school or from his mom, a medical assistant.
"He got it from TV," said Nicholas, who was rescued.
The six year old thinks Jasiah learned the life-saving technique by watching an episode of the Disney show "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody."
It is unusual for a child so young to know how to perform the technique and school officials believe Jasiah stepped in during a serious medical emergency.
“I strongly recommend that every parent be trained in CPR and first aid because accidents happen all the time,” said West Avenue Nurse Joy Barrientes.
According to spokesman Victor Garcia, North East ISD takes several measures to ensure the health and safety of its students and staff, including having a registered nurse (RN) staffed at each campus. All school staff are trained in first aid and response measures for a variety of emergency situations.
