NEW YORK — A 13-year-old autistic boy says he performed the Heimlich maneuver on a classmate at his New York City school after learning the technique from "SpongeBob SquarePants."

The Staten Island Advance reports that Brandon Williams was eating lunch at Barnes Intermediate School on Oct. 28 when he noticed that classmate Jessica Pellegrino was choking on a piece of apple.

He wrapped his arms around her mid-section and gave a sharp thrust to her diaphragm, and she spit out the piece of apple.

Brandon was asked how he learned the Heimlich a few days later. He said, "Learned it on SpongeBob."

Brandon's and Jessica's seventh-grade class had a party to celebrate Brandon's heroism. Some adults at the school said Brandon deserves a medal but he said he doesn't need one.