Will County Gazette

Escobedo and his friend just sat down to eat lunch at the school.

Escobedo noticed his friend was coughing and choking, but he thought his friend was joking, Escobedo said.

“But then his face turned red, then bright purple,” Escobedo said.

Escobedo, who was sitting next to his friend, jumped up and started giving him the Heimlich maneuver, Escobedo said.

Escobedo noticed his friend had stopped choking and was breathing again after Escobedo performed the maneuver.

“It was kind of instinct,” Escobedo said of his heroics.

Staff immediately called Aux Sable nurse Shannon Morris to the cafeteria.

The friend was awake, breathing and no longer choking when she got there, Morris said.

She credited Escobedo with saving his friend’s life.

“We at Aux Sable could not be any prouder of Sergio for seeing that his friend was in need and acted,” Morris said.

“With it being St. Patrick’s Day, Sergio was truly his friend’s lucky charm that day in the cafeteria,” Morris said.

Escobedo shrugs off being called a hero. He is happy to report his friend texted him that he was OK after the incident.

He encouraged anyone else in that situation to remain calm and do not overthink it.