FORTVILLE – A second teacher at Fortville Elementary is being hailed for saving a student from choking.
School corporation officials say Niki Privett, a fifth-grade teacher, saved a student’s life Thursday when he began choking on a piece of pizza.
Privett was standing in the doorway of her classroom when Micah Tsamwa, a fifth-grader, ran toward her. She could tell he was choking, spun him around and began doing the Heimlich maneuver to dislodge what was caught in his throat.
Soon after, Micah began coughing and calmed down, Privett said.
It’s the second time this semester a teacher at Fortville Elementary School performed the Heimlich maneuver to help a child in trouble.
Last month, third-grader Abram Witten choked on a piece of celery as he walked back to class from lunch, and teacher Amy Hoeppner sprang into action.
Teachers are required to be certified in CPR before they’re hired and update their certification every few years, school officials have said. Mt. Vernon School Corp. nurses offer training to staff frequently, a news release states.
