Commack School Monitor Saves Life Of Choking 3rd Grade Student

COMMACK, NY — A school monitor saved a choking third grader's life at Sawmill Intermediate by performing the Heimlich maneuver on Wednesday, the Commack School District announced on Facebook.

Rhonda Vladimir, who has been a monitor at Sawmill since 2016, spotted a student signaling he was choking, according to the district. Vladimir dislodged a piece of cheese and saved the student’s life.

"The adrenaline kicked in, the training worked and I just thought about the child and did the Heimlich maneuver," Vladimir, a Northport resident with grown children, said, according to the district. "And thankfully he was fine. I’m so thrilled to be able to help."

Commack staff, including monitors, undergo annual training to prevent choking instances.

Commack Schools added LifeVac anti-choking devices throughout the district earlier this year, although Vladimir did not rely on the device in this instance.

"We are grateful Rhonda acted quickly and that the student knew the universal sign for choking," Sawmill assistant principal Evelyn Cárdenas said. "They both need to be recognized for their bravery."

It marks the second time this calendar year that an alert lunch monitor saved a child’s life in Commack schools.

Last spring, Wood Park monitor Francesca Augello performed the Heimlich maneuver to dislodge pizza from the throat of a choking second grader.