It was a scene from the daily life of any average American family.
Matthew Hanley, 11, and his brother, Michael, 9, were upstairs watching television in their Orion home eating frozen Italian ice treats.
Their mother, Kari, was downstairs. Craig, their dad, was at work.
Then it took a turn for the terrifying worse.
Michael began choking on the treat.
‘He couldn’t get any air, couldn’t breathe, couldn’t talk,? Kari said.
That’s when Matt jumped into action.
As a member of Boy Scout Troop 128, Hanley has instructed other scouts on the Heimlech manuveur, most recently at their Readyman event.
But this time, it wasn’t a training exercise. Matt said he saw that his brother could barely talk and sprung into action.
‘I saw he was choking. I sat behind him and did the Heimlech,? he said.
Matt’s scout training did the trick. Michael’s throat was cleared of the obstruction.
‘It’s pretty scary when you can’t breathe,? Michael said of the experience.
Kari said she was in disbelief.
‘I thought, ‘Oh, my God! Why didn’t you call me??? she said. ‘I can’t think about it. It’s just too scary.?
Kari and Craig were glad Matt had reviewed the Heimlech so recently.
‘I’m so thankful for the scouts. It’s priceless what they’ve done for us,? Kari said.
Matt is currently at the Tenderfoot level of the Boy Scouts. He is a sixth grader at Scripps Middle School.
Michael is following in his big brother’s footsteps and is a Bear in the Cub Scouts. He is in the third grade at Stadium Elementary.
‘We’re very proud of both of them for the way they handled themselves,? Craig Hanley said.