Freshman, Ian Brown, is being called a hero after performing the Heimlich maneuver on his choking friend during lunch.

A security camera at Central High School in La Crosse, Wisconsin caught Ian's quick response when his friend, fellow freshman Will Olson, started choking on a cheese curd while eating lunch in the cafeteria. According to USA Today, Ian learned the Heimlich maneuver during his time in the police explorer program at the local police department.

The Health Research Funding website states that the Heimlich maneuver saves the lives of more than 100,000 potential choking victims each year, and with choking being the fourth leading cause of death in the country, first aid knowledge is so important. Unfortunately, not everybody would be able to respond to a choking emergency the way Ian did.

The American Red Cross teaches life saving skills, like the Heimlich maneuver, to more than nine million people per year. Sounds impressive, right? But when you think about how many people there are in the United States, it really only works out to about 35% of American's being first aid qualified.

Keep yourself prepared and be confident in your life saving skills by refreshing your first aid knowledge through online classes at the Red Cross or sign up for first aid classes right here South Louisiana.

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