Local firefighter honored for saving life

Van Wert independent/submitted information

BOARDMAN — A local firefighter was recently honored for saving the life of a young girl while at a training session.

The Boardman Township Board of Trustees presented Van Wert Fire Captain Craig King with a “proclamation” for his heroic actions on February 25.

On that day, Captain King, who is also the Middle Point fire chief, was attending a Fire Officer II class in Boardman. While on a lunch break, he observed a woman motorist who exhibited signs of panic when she exited the driver’s seat and rushed to the back seat of her vehicle.

Captain King realized that something was wrong and approached the driver to find that her 4-year-old daughter had choked on some food and was not breathing. Captain King immediately removed the child from the car and performed the “Heimlich Maneuver” to clear the child’s airway. The young girl immediately began to breathe.

Captain King’s willingness to intervene and use his training as a firefighter/paramedic allowed him to perform this lifesaving action and most likely saved the child’s life. The Boardman Township trustees, in conjunction with the residents of Boardman Township, wanted to express their warm appreciation and gratitude for these actions by presenting him with a proclamation of recognition.