DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) — A custodian in the Springfield school district has been honored for saving a student from choking.
Larry ‘Curt’ Johnson performed the Heimlich Maneuver on a Snowhill Elementary School fifth-grader. The student was choking on crackers in the cafeteria.
Johnson first noticed the student was choking when he began to turn colors. After administering abdominal thrusts, the crackers came out of the student’s throat.
“Curt is a prime example of an employee who consistently goes above and beyond for our
students, ensuring that each of them know how much they are valued and cared for,” said Dr. Bob Hill, superintendent at the Springfield city school district.
Johnson has been thanked by the student and his family, as well as honored by his employee union. This month, Johnson received the district’s first ‘Employee of the Month’ award as part of a new employee recognition program.
“We are grateful that this specific scenario ended in the best way possible because Curt was not afraid to quickly jump into action to help a student in need. He is the first of many employees who the district will be shining a light on, in order to properly recognize the daily efforts of our incredible staff,” said Hill.
Johnson, an employee of the district for 10 years, has worked at Snowhill for nine years.
