PHIPPSBURG

A fifth-grade teacher at Phippsburg Elementary School was recently acknowledged by state leaders for administering the Heimlich maneuver to a choking student last fall.

Amber Snell said she was writing on the board during class when a student called out, drawing attention to Annie Mason who was motioning that she couldn’t breathe.

At first, Snell patted Mason on the back before realizing the gravity of the situation.

“It was becoming apparent that it was pretty serious, so I kind of just — everything I had, I just Heimliched as hard as I could and she threw up, and on top of that was a water bottle cap,” Snell said Wednesday.

After sending Mason down to the office with an escort, Snell said she calmed down the rest of her students who had silently watched as the incident occurred.

“We talked about safety and why it’s not a good idea to fool around with water bottles and why it’s good to know first aid or the Heimlich,” Snell said. “We were just kind of telling other little stories to make us feel better.”

Snell said in past years, the local fire department has come in to speak about first aid and other precautions.

“One (student) asked ‘I felt like I wasn’t doing anything, and what could I do?’ So we talked about maybe getting another adult … but it’s kind of hard in this situation,” she said. “You don’t really think; you just kind of react.”

“I’m very grateful for what she did, and it kind of makes me smile and like … (she’s a) superhero and saves the day,” Mason said.

After the incident, Mason said she told her mother she wanted to learn how to do the Heimlich to help others “in case someone else is choking.”

State Sen. Linda Baker and Rep. Jeffrey Pierce visited the school earlier this month to surprise Snell and her students with a legislative sentiment for her actions. Both leaders explained the legislative process and presented each student with a state of Maine pin.

This is the second time Snell has been surprised with an award for her heroism. Shortly after the incident had occurred, Snell’s student Brandon Read also presented her with a certificate during a school assembly last year.

dkim@timesrecord.com

State honor

• STATE SEN. LINDA BAKER and Rep. Jeffrey Pierce visited the school earlier this month to surprise Amber Snell and her students with a legislative sentiment for her actions.