
Selfless Middle Schooler Rises to the Occasion in Grant County
A Grant County middle schooler has been recognized for his quick reflexes and perseverance in the face of sudden danger.
In a buzzing auditorium at Royal City Middle School on Friday, Alangel Baeza received a special commendation in front of loved ones, peers, faculty and local law enforcement. Baeza is credited with saving the life of a choking classmate.
It all started the previous week when, according to this KHQ report, Baeza was at lunch, chatting amiably with a new student. Before long, Baeza was confronted by a boy in obvious peril.

"He came running up to me and told me he was choking," Baeza recalled in an on-camera interview with KHQ.
His first two attempts at the Heimlich maneuver were unsuccessful, "but on the third try, the food was dislodged and the boy could breathe again," according to a voiceover by reporter Kevin Teeter.
Baeza has no formal first aid training. He learned how to perform the Heimlich maneuver by studying online tutorials.
"I knew how to do it because I watch videos on YouTube," Baeza said. "Sometimes I get bored and don't know what to watch, so I just watch videos."
"It was amazing," beamed Jerry Copenhaver, principal of Royal City MS. "A lot of times in school, we honor athletics and all sorts of other things, but it's not every day we get to honor someone who saves a life."
"Here at the middle school, we have a code of honor: character, ownership, discipline and excellence. Alangel nailed all of those."
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Gallery Credit: U.S. News
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