Good News7-year-old saves friend’s life with skills learned from ‘Sesame Street’
William Ruhno, 7, saved his friend's life last Wednesday.
William and fellow Grade 2 student Derek Almeida were on the playground at Ann Street School in Newark, New Jersey, when Derek started choking on a pretzel.
"He was eating the pretzel and he swallowed it, and then all of a sudden he was just coughing and coughing," William told News 12 New Jersey. "He was trying to get it out, so I knew."
William took action immediately and performed the Heimlich maneuver on his friend — a skill he learned from watching Sesame Street.
"I put my arms around him, did a fist and pulled," William told WCBS. "Work the first time? No. Work the second? Yes."
"He stepped right into action," Prinicipal Linda Richardson said. "First time, then the second, that he did it, in fact, (to) save his life."
Derek's mother thanked William with some toy cars.
"I appreciate what he did to save my life," Derek told News 12 New Jersey. "And he's one of my best buddies."
William's mother, Debbie Ruhno, was on the playground at the time and witnessed her son's heroic act.
"I was proud of him for knowing how to do it," Ruhno said. "And just shocked that he actually did it."
