David Mire is the assistant principal at Orangefield Junior High and he says his job is to “assist” Principal T.J. Reed, assist the other teachers and bus drivers, and of course to assist the students. Mire did that in a big way Thursday.
“During 8th grade lunch I like to interact with the students to see how their day is going and while I was doing that one of the boys came up to me. He didn’t say anything but he was holding his throat,” Mire said. “Coach Sarah Nash said ‘I think he’s choking’ so I turned him around and did the Heimlich maneuver a couple of times and he started to cough. We leaned him over the garbage can and I clapped his back a few times and what I believe was a combination of chicken and chips came out. It seemed like forever but it was over in about 15 seconds.”
The young man was checked out by Nurse Sandy Frye and his parents were called before he resumed his school day with a story that he probably told more than once.
“The training came in handy,” Mire said. “Over the years of being a teacher, coach, and camp counselor we’ve had to train for choking and CPR. I was just at the right place at the right time.”
The Crowley, La. native is in his second year at OJH. His wife also teaches in the district and they have two daughters. He also spent time teaching at West Orange-Stark Junior High before getting his Master’s at Lamar.
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