21.05.2026 11:32
In the Kırıkhan district of Hatay, a middle school student named Sait Kıvanç Kömürçukuru, who had something stuck in his throat while eating a pastry, was saved by physical education teacher Esra Çimen Öztürk through the Heimlich maneuver. The teacher's calm intervention succeeded on the third attempt, and the student began to breathe again. Those moments were captured by security cameras.
The moment a teacher saved a student who was choking on a pastry and struggling to breathe in Hatay by performing the Heimlich maneuver was captured on camera.
Esra Çimen Öztürk, who works as a physical education teacher at Şehit Atilla Kurt Secondary School in the Özyörük neighborhood of Kırıkhan district, noticed during her duty that a student named Sait Kıvanç Kömürçukuru could not breathe and was in distress. Realizing that students were trying to help Sait, teacher Öztürk performed the Heimlich maneuver on the student who could not breathe. The moments when the teacher saved the student's life by performing the Heimlich maneuver as he came face to face with death while eating a pastry were reflected on security cameras.
"I INTERVENED VERY QUICKLY WITHIN SECONDS"
Teacher Esra Çimen Öztürk, who saved the life of her student who could not breathe while eating a pastry by performing the Heimlich maneuver, said, "I work as a physical education teacher at Kırıkhan Şehit Atilla Kurt Secondary School. During recess, I noticed our duty teacher asking for help. My student could not breathe at all. He was moving but could not breathe. His eyes and face were red and seemed about to turn purple. I understood something was stuck in his throat. Perhaps within seconds, I intervened very quickly without panicking, staying calm, and performed the Heimlich maneuver. On the third attempt of the Heimlich maneuver, my student began to breathe. I experienced a mix of happiness, pride, and sadness. At that moment, we were on recess, and all the students were outside. It was a bit hard to notice, but I saw my student running doubled over. From a distance, I didn't understand what was happening. Then his friends and the duty teacher said he probably couldn't breathe. The duty teacher directed me to him. When the duty teacher called out to me, 'Teacher,' I looked and immediately understood something was stuck in his throat. Then I performed the Heimlich maneuver and he started breathing. It was a very emotional moment," she said.
"TEACHER ESRA PERFORMED THE HEIMLICH MANEUVER ON ME, THE PASTRY CAME OUT OF MY MOUTH, AND THEN I COULD BREATHE"
Student Sait Kıvanç Kömürçukuru, who stated he came face to face with death while eating a pastry, said, "I study at Kırıkhan Şehit Atilla Kurt Secondary School. During recess, I bought a pastry from the canteen. While eating the pastry, it suddenly got stuck in my throat. In the panic of the moment, I didn't know what to do. I couldn't breathe and went to our duty teacher. The duty teacher directed me to Teacher Esra. Teacher Esra immediately came and performed the Heimlich maneuver on me. After doing it quickly and firmly three or four times, the pastry came out of my mouth. After that, I could breathe. I am very grateful to my teacher Esra," he expressed.