WALLINGFORD, Conn.—When Tony Sgroi's mother, Tammy Sgroi, taught him to use the Heimlich maneuver, he never thought he'd be using it during school, let alone on his good friend.

But that's what happened on a recent morning when Tony lifted fellow Sheehan High School freshman Joe Barbiuto out of his seat and with three quick thrusts cleared his throat of food that had become stuck.

Joe, 14, and Tony, 15, were in Nicholas Brown's computer-aided drafting and design class on March 2, when Joe began choking on gummy fruit snacks.

"I was chewing and I accidentally inhaled," he said. "I got one caught in my throat and Tony saw me choking."

"He was coughing and grabbing his throat, he was making weird noises," Tony said. "He couldn't talk, he couldn't breathe. I asked if he was choking but he didn't answer."

Joe said he was thankful for Tony's actions. They have known each other since grade school.

"He told me `He really saved my life,'" said Joe's mom, Jodi Barbiuto. "How do you repay somebody for that?"

Tammy Sgroi works as a medical assistant and knows the Heimlich from her job.

"I taught (Tony) when he was little, but I guess something stuck," she said.

After the food was freed, the boys' teacher alerted school staff who responded quickly and brought Joe down to the nurse's office, where he was sent home early. Jodi Barbiuto praised school officials' handling of the situation, and said that her son's teacher called the house several hours after the incident to make sure Joe was all right.

"My face went white when I got the phone call," Jodi Barbiuto said. "This situation could have turned out much differently."

She said she was surprised how quickly Tony acted.

"I'm so proud of Tony for doing that," she said. "He didn't even think twice. He took care of Joe without hesitation."

Tony Sgroi said he wasn't nervous about hurting Joe.

"That's better than him choking and dying," he said.

After Tony positioned himself behind Joe and began pushing against his stomach, Joe said he just hoped the maneuver worked.

"I was thinking `I hope I don't die,'" he said. "I couldn't get any air."

Sheehan Principal Rosemary Duthie shook Tony's hand and the class applauded him for his efforts on the day of the incident. Joe's 17-year-old sister, Bristyn Barbiuto, said news of Tony's action spread quickly around the school and soon landed on Facebook.

"Within 10 minutes, everyone knew," said the senior.

Joe said that incident highlights the importance of teaching the Heimlich maneuver to students. Tammy Sgroi agreed.

"It's a scary situation; I've never had to do it," she said. "But it's something you should know."

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