Carmel boys friends for life

Eric Gross Patrick Murphy demonstrates the technique used to save the life of his buddy, Allen Kessman, during lunch at the George Fischer Middle School. Patrick Murphy and Allen Kessman have been buddies for years. Now the boys are inseparable, following a series of heroics that saved one of their lives.

The two 13-year-old eighth graders at the George Fischer Middle School in Carmel were having lunch in the school cafeteria a week ago when Allen, who was munching on grapes, began to develop breathing problems when one of the morsels became lodged in his windpipe.

Allen said he was “talking and eating” at the same time and “I guess one of the grapes got stuck. I began having difficulty breathing and started waving my hands and grabbing at my neck.”

Patrick realized his friend was in distress and ran over to Allen before wrapping his arms around the victim’s chest: “I gave him three thrusts of the Heimlich maneuver and all of a sudden Allen made a strange sound and was breathing again.”

Allen said he felt “immediate relief” and after the fruit was dislodged, he swallowed it: “It was too good to spit out!”

During an interview last Friday Patrick told the COURIER that he learned CPR from his Boy Scout troop as well as his parents: “My dad is an EMT and some day I want to follow in his footsteps.”

Principal William Manfredonia congratulated Patrick for his quick thinking and actions: “This was a great lesson for the entire school. Kids do many wonderful things both in and out of school every year but the media often stresses the negative. Here is a lesson learned that averted a potential tragedy.”

Patrick said his plans for the future always centered on police science and crime scene investigation: “Now, I just may consider the field of medicine.”

His buddy added: “If Patrick does become a doctor, I’ll be his first patient.”

—Eric Gross