A quick-thinking employee saved a boy's life while he was visiting one of Asda's stores.
A young boy was out shopping with his mum when Asda employee Joanne Lang noticed he was struggling to breathe.
Stationed by the self-checkout area, the Farnworth store worker quickly rushed over to the young child and ultimately saved his life.
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Upon reaching the boy, Joanne realised he was choking on a gummy snake.
In order to dislodge the sweet, the employee firmly patted the child on the back, leaning him forwards as she did.
Joanne explained how the incident 'all happened very quickly' despite seeming 'like forever' in the moment.
She continued: "I saw the little boy out of the corner of my eye sitting in a trolley and knew straight away that something was wrong as his face was going red and he was having difficulty breathing. He wasn't coughing so I knew something was stuck.
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"I used the heel of my hand to hit him on the back a couple of times and the snake came out. I think he'd managed to swallow it whole and it got stuck."
Thankfully, Joanne managed to dislodge the sweet and save the young boy from choking.
She said: "When it came out the boy, who was aged about two or three, just looked at me with a massive grin on his face. It was such a relief that he was OK.
"His mum was in shock. She thanked me and then they left. I had a little breather and then went back to work."
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The employee - who is a mother herself to a 24-year-old son - resolved that her actions had been 'just pure instinct' and not really down to her first aid training but because of her simply 'being a mum'.
"I just did what anyone else would have done. I was in the right place at the right time," she said.
Despite her modesty, Joanne's actions have been recognised and highly regarded by the store's customer service manager Rita Charleston.
So much so, the employee has been nominated for an Asda service superstar award.
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Charleston resolved: "We are all so proud of Joanne. What she did was absolutely amazing.
"She single-handedly saved that child from choking. Her quick reactions really did save the day. The situation could have had a very different outcome if it wasn't for Joanne."
Topics: UK News
Poppy Bilderbeck