Southwest
Boy, 8, saves choking friend with Heimlich maneuver: See the video
An 8-year-old boy is being hailed as a hero after saving the life of his choking friend in the elementary school cafeteria.
Thomas Conley, a second-grade student at Porter Elementary School in Mesa, Arizona, noticed that his friend was choking on a grape and sprang into action, according to local reports.
Conley immediately performed the Heimlich maneuver — also known as abdominal thrusts — on Isaiah Rodriguez, which dislodged the grape.
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Mesa Public Schools commended Conley on social media after the heroic moment, which occurred on Nov. 14.
An 8-year-old boy is being hailed as a hero after saving the life of his choking friend in the elementary school cafeteria. (Candice Conley/Mesa Public Schools)
“Thanks to Thomas’ quick thinking, Isaiah was able to breathe normally again. Thank you, Thomas, for your courage and for being a true hero!”
Candice Conley, Thomas’ mother, spoke with Fox News Digital about his son’s life-saving actions.
“We are so proud of him,” she said. “Thomas is very quick-thinking and active — and he’s just a really good friend.”
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The family often discusses food safety and kitchen safety at home, Conley said, as she and her husband have both worked in the food industry, and she now works in the Department of Public Health for Maricopa County.
“I think a lot of people, maybe even some adults, might not realize that somebody’s choking,” she said. “Thomas just knew that he had to get air to go up to dislodge the grape.”
Thomas Conley (right) saved his friend, Isaiah Rodriguez (left), who was choking on a grape in the school cafeteria. (Candice Conley)
The parents of Rodriguez, the boy Thomas Conley saved, were “so thankful,” Conley told Fox News Digital.
“The first time I saw his mom, I just hugged her,” she said. “We are just so thankful, most of all, that Isaiah is OK.”
“Thomas is very quick-thinking and active — and he’s just a really good friend.”
“I’m super grateful, and I wanted him to know how proud I was of him and how thankful I was,” said Isaiah’s mom, Maria Anderson, in a video posted by Mesa Fire and Medical Department. “He and my son have been friends for a long time.”
Thomas has been “very nonchalant” about what happened, Conley said.
“He was just like, ‘My friend needed help, and so I helped him,’” she said.
Porter Elementary held an assembly with first responders from the Mesa Fire and Medical Department, who recognized Thomas’ brave act and presented him with a certificate in front of his peers. (Candice Conley)
“It’s super cool that Thomas had a part in that and that we can raise awareness about choking, because it could have gone really awful that day.”
Speaking to Fox News Digital, Thomas said, “I’ve probably never had this much attention in my life.”
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Last week, Porter Elementary held an assembly with first responders from the Mesa Fire and Medical Department, who recognized Thomas’ brave act and presented him with a certificate in front of his peers.
Thomas Conley is pictured with the Mesa fire chief, who recognized the boy’s heroic act. (Candice Conley)
The Mesa Fire and Medical Department also recognized Thomas on its Facebook page.
“Thomas turned a regular lunchtime into an extraordinary act of bravery, making a huge difference,” they wrote. “Seeing his friend in distress, Thomas wasted no time and jumped into action, saving Isaiah’s life from a choking incident. Join us in applauding this young hero. Thomas, you inspire us to act courageously and promptly.”
For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews.com/health
Introduced by Dr. Henry Heimlich in 1975, the Heimlich maneuver is recommended by the American Heart Association Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care as the first line of treatment for airway obstruction.
The maneuver has a success rate of more than 86% in choking cases, research has shown.
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Jurors deliberating the fate of the man accused of starting the Palisades Fire, one of the most destructive wildfires in California’s history, failed to reach a verdict Thursday afternoon, telling the judge they were deadlocked.
A spokesperson from the United States Attorney’s Office told KTLA that jurors will continue to deliberate until they reach a verdict or give up.
Jonathan Rinderknecht, 30, a former Uber driver and one-time Pacific Palisades resident, is accused of starting the Lachman Fire on New Year’s Eve. The fire continued to smolder underground for about a week, even after Los Angeles firefighters believed it had been extinguished.
Flames reignited on Jan. 7, erupting into the deadly Palisades Fire that killed 12 people and destroyed thousands of homes in the upscale community, authorities said.
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A courtroom sketch of Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, during his initial court appearance on Oct. 23, 2025. (Bill Robles) -
The U.S. Dept. of Justice booking photo of Jonathan Rinderknecht over the Palisades Fire devastation in Malibu, California in January 2025 (AP).
Prosecutors argued that Rinderknecht deliberately set the fire, claiming he had grown increasingly resentful of wealthy residents and viewed Pacific Palisades as a symbol of that frustration.
“Their case, though circumstantial, is strong,” KTLA legal analyst Alison Triessl said. “The defense is relying on, can they (prosecutors) show beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr. Rinderknecht actually started this fire and it wasn’t the result of fireworks or some intervening cause.”
The defense argued there is no direct physical evidence tying Rinderknecht to the fire and said the prosecution’s case relies entirely on circumstantial evidence. Rinderknecht did not testify during the trial.
Defense attorney Steve Haney spoke outside the courthouse Wednesday about why he believes it will be difficult for prosecutors to prove how the fire started.
“The lack of scene preservation. The fact that they got there after a lot of the evidence was missing. Not a lot of direct evidence. This is a circumstantial case, which is always difficult as a prosecutor to prove,” Haney said.
Rinderknecht, who was arrested and indicted last October, faces up to 45 years in prison if found guilty of three arson counts, including destruction of property by means of fire, arson affecting property used in interstate commerce and timber set afire.
Tony Kurzweil contributed to this report
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