CLINTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. – A principal’s quick thinking and training helped save a second-grade student who was choking on a water bottle cap at a local elementary school earlier this month.
Dr. Katie Shellabarger, principal at Miami Elementary School, received an emergency radio call and rushed to the classroom to help.
“I could notice that Piper was over a garbage can, and we weren’t quite sure what was going on,” Shellabarger said.
Within seconds, she recognized the student was choking and immediately began performing the Heimlich maneuver.
The student had accidentally swallowed a water bottle cap.
“It was really scary,” Piper said. “It felt really weird. It really hurt.”
While Shellabarger performed the life-saving technique, another teacher monitored Piper’s breathing.
“Piper felt something come up a little bit, so she started coughing, and we encouraged her to continue coughing until it came out,” Shellabarger said.
Weeks after the incident, Piper is back in school and is feeling better. When asked if she was grateful for her principal’s help, both Piper and Shellabarger shared an affirming “Yes.”
Shellabarger said the incident serves as a reminder of the critical role school staff play in student safety and the importance of maintaining current emergency response training.