‘My Little Brother's Choking' Tyler's Day Of Bravery

How he put his basic first-aid skills into action.

- Lynley Ward

The dreadful sound of his little brother choking is something schoolboy Tyler Veint can’t easily forget, but thanks to his cool head, the youngster has been hailed a hero for saving the toddler’s life!

Nine months on, Invercargill mum Lisa gets upset thinking about the afternoon she came close to losing little Charlie, who was struggling to breathe after a mint he was sucking blocked his airway.

As the situation turned increasingly grim, Lisa cried out to her eldest son − just 10 years old at the time − for help.

It’s how Tyler acted in the minutes following that saved Charlie, Lisa believes, and warranted the bravery award her eldest son was presented with in front of his schoolmates last November.

While much of the incident is still shrouded in terror and confusion, Lisa recalls pulling up at home after picking up Charlie from daycare.

The 37-year-old says she went to check on Tyler who, sporting a cast with a freshly-broken thumb, was in his room.

“I went in to see if everything was alright with my eldest son and we heard this funny noise behind me. Turning around, it was Charlie standing there making this strange noise.

“It took me a couple of seconds to realise what was happening − he kept pointing to his mouth − and I realised he was choking,” recalls Lisa.

“Charlie was still conscious but his lips started to go blue.”