A Somersfield Academy teacher’s quick thinking during an unexpected emergency helped to save a child’s life.

During the school’s Thankful Lunch on November 21, a young pupil began choking and Lucrecia Simmons, a primary teacher at the school, sprang into action to administer back blows and abdominal thrusts.

The child’s parents and others present tried to assist, but their efforts were unsuccessful.

Ms Simmons acted without hesitation drawing on life-saving skills taught to her by Steven Caines, a former firefighter and owner of Fire and Life Safety Associates.

She was able to clear the child’s airway within seconds, which restored breathing.

“It all happened so fast,” recalled Dennie O’Connor, a parent who was present at the event.

“While everyone was panicking, Ms Simmons was calm and in control. She knew exactly what to do and saved the child’s life in less than 15 seconds.

“Her training and quick thinking were remarkable.”

The parents wrote to the school to express their sincere gratitude.

They said: “We keep replaying the situation in our heads and will never forget how calm yet decisive Ms Simmons was in helping our daughter without hesitation.

“It was a very scary situation and we are so relieved it all went well. We cannot thank Ms Simmons enough and will never forget what she did for us.”

Ms Simmons credited her father, Wendell Simmons, a former firefighter, for instilling the importance of life-saving knowledge.

“Growing up, my dad always told me that you never know when you might need to step in and help someone,” she said.

“He made sure I learnt basic first aid and the abdominal thrust, and I’m so grateful for that now.”

The family of the child made a donation to Somersfield Academy in Ms Simmons’s honour, which will support its emergency preparedness programmes, including training staff as certified first-aid instructors while maintaining regular first-aid certification for all staff.

“This incident highlights how vital it is for educators to have emergency training,” remarked Riki Teteina, the head of school.

Ms Simmons was presented with a “Dedication Beyond Duty” certificate.

Mr Caines and Cathy Williams, a nurse, were brought in to provide staff with a refresher course on basic CPR and abdominal thrusts.

Mr Teteina added: “We are so fortunate to have someone like Ms Simmons at Somersfield and we hope her actions inspire other schools to prioritise similar training.”