Caught on camera: bus driver saves choking child

By Bella Van Lanen

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    ADAMS COUNTY, Wisconsin (WISN) — An Adams County bus driver is being hailed as a hero after saving a choking child.

Cathryn Dornacker, 9, chewed on her bracelet on the ride home from school Jan. 10. A bead eventually got stuck in her throat, prompting her brother to yell for help.

“I accidentally swallowed it, and then I don’t remember anything,” Dornacker said.

Bus driver Jaime Smoczyk quickly pulled over and gave the girl the Heimlich maneuver, stopping the choking.

“I just hope everybody does the right thing in the right moment,” Smoczyk said. “[Dornacker’s] mom and dad told me they took her to the emergency room to get her checked out and make sure everything was good, and thankfully, it was.”

Smoczyk urges every bus driver to learn the Heimlich, calling it a critical skill.

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