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MASCOUTAH, Ill. – Caden Biggs, 8, sprang into action when a friend started to choke on a goldfish cracker while at lunch at Mascoutah Elementary just outside St. Louis, MO.

“There’s a poster in the cafeteria over there that says if someone is choking to call 911,” said Caden.

But he knows that in an emergency seconds count.

“I just got behind him, pushed my arm forward and just did that like two times until all the food came out,” said Caden.

How did Caleb learn how to perform the Heimlich maneuver? It stems from when his grandma used to babysit Caden and his brother.

“One day, one of the kids was choking and we had to kind of push on him. They thought it was funny and that’s when I taught him to do it. It became a game,” said Caden’s grandmother Tina Maddaleno.

“I think it was surprising, the moment he knew what to do and did well and correctly,” said Caden’s mother Meghan Biggs.

Caden said the classmate he saved told him thank you.