When Sydney Raley started her shift at the McDonald's in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, on Saturday, she had no idea it would end with her saving the life of a customer in the drive-thru.
After Raley, 15, gave the woman the first part of her order, she briefly walked away from the window. When she returned to tell the customer the rest was on its way, Raley saw that the woman was choking on a chicken nugget. Her daughter was in the passenger seat, and "she looked so freaked out," Raley told CNN.
Raley jumped into action — literally. She told both her manager and the woman's daughter to call 911, and then leaped out of the drive-thru window so she could perform the Heimlich maneuver on the customer. Raley learned the Heimlich maneuver during a Red Cross first aid class four years ago, and "all that training immediately kicked in," she said.
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With the help of a bystander she called over, Raley was able to dislodge the food from the woman's throat, allowing her to breathe again. The woman profusely thanked Raley, and two police officers who arrived at the scene gave the teen $100 from a fund set up to help people in the community who perform good deeds.
Paul Ostergaard, the owner-operator of the McDonald's in Eden Prairie, told CNN the restaurant is "incredibly proud" of Raley, adding that she is "courageous" and "truly personifies what it is to be a hero."
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