A Silsbee football coach is being credited with potentially saving a middle schooler's life after he used the Heimlich maneuver to clear the student's airway during a choking emergency at Edwards-Johnson Memorial Silsbee Middle School. Morgan Robberts, who teaches and coaches in the district, stepped in when students brought the choking student to him for help, and the district says his quick response may have made all the difference.
According to kfdm.com, Robberts performed the Heimlich maneuver and cleared the student's airway. As reported by KBTV Fox 4 Beaumont, Robberts performed the maneuver on the student in a hallway and called for help while he worked, continuing for about 15 seconds before the airway cleared. The outlet reported that the student's face was getting even bluer during the emergency, and that the Heimlich dislodged a peppermint the student had been choking on. Afterward, the student was reported to be okay.
Coach Says He Was Praying Throughout
Robberts said the student was in visible distress when classmates brought the student to him, and he described leaning on faith as he worked. “I was praying the whole time. I just thank God that he had his hand over the whole situation,” Robberts said, according to kfdm.com. Per Fox 4 Beaumont, Robberts said he believes God deserves credit for the outcome, and he said he became emotional after learning the student was okay.
Robberts credited his school district's training with giving him the knowledge to act, telling Fox 4 Beaumont that the experience gave him a different perspective on how quickly and severely emergencies can develop. Kfdm.com reports that Robberts, a member of Silsbee High School's 2020 graduating class and a former All-State offensive lineman, returned to the district as an educator and coach specifically to mentor student-athletes.
Principal Points to Districtwide Emergency Training
Karl Whitley, principal of Edwards-Johnson Memorial Silsbee Middle School, said he was grateful Robberts acted quickly, and Fox 4 Beaumont reported that Whitley said Robberts' actions set an example of the staff's quick emergency response. Whitley added that the incident should reassure parents that students are safe in Silsbee ISD, and he said teachers are trained to respond to both internal and external situations. Silsbee ISD provides CPR training every year for teachers and staff, and school staff are trained to respond to emergencies both inside and outside the school, according to Fox 4 Beaumont's report.
Separately, beginning with the 2023-2024 school year, Texas has required students in grades 7 through 12 to receive CPR and AED instruction at least once before graduation, according to the Texas School Safety Center. The same guidance notes that school districts may rely on teachers and other school employees, among other qualified personnel, to deliver that instruction.
Other Texas Districts Have Faced Similar Emergencies
Choking emergencies at schools don't always end this way. In one case, the parents of a girl named Adrian Thompson released surveillance footage six months after her choking death at a Texas school, seeking answers about how the school responded, according to cbs19.tv. Elsewhere, a coach at D.C. Cannon Elementary School in Quinlan stepped in to help a student who began having difficulty breathing while standing in the school's pickup line, per heraldbanner.com.
For Silsbee ISD, the outcome at Edwards-Johnson Memorial Silsbee Middle School is the kind district leaders hope to see whenever an emergency arises. Whitley praised Robberts' quick response and said it reassured parents.
