VIDEO: High school basketball coach jumps into action to save choking student

OMAHA, Neb. (KETV) - A high school student who started choking during lunch is thanking his school’s basketball coach for rushing to his rescue.

Papillion La Vista South Basketball Coach Joel Hueser was working his regular lunch duty on Tuesday when freshman Riley Kelly started choking after taking a bite of a cheeseburger.

“I just didn’t chew it all the way,” Kelly said.

Video from the school lunchroom showed the student grabbing his throat with students yelling for help.

“It was all so sudden; it was like a flash of lightning in my head but at the same time going super slow,” Kelly said.

Hueser leaped up and immediately performed the Heimlich maneuver on Kelly. And the piece of the cheeseburger was out a few seconds later.

“Every two years when we have to do CPR, I’m like, ‘We really have to do this again,’ but it certainly paid off this time,” Hueser said.

Kelly said he was grateful to the coach he’d never met until that afternoon.

“I would definitely say, ‘Thank you very much, I really appreciate it,’” Kelly said

Hueser said he’s no hero, just thankful Kelly is alright.

“Any teacher or coach would have done the same thing. I just happened to be there,” Hueser said.

The student says he’s actually had something like this happen before, where he gets something stuck in his throat, but normally, he is able to wash it down.

Lucky for Kelly, coach Hueser was nearby this time.