15-Year-Old McDonald's Employee Jumps Through Drive-Thru Window, Saves Customer Choking On Chicken Nugget

A teenage employee at a McDonald's branch in Minnesota has been hailed a hero for saving a woman who was choking on a chicken nugget.

Sydney Raley, 15, sprang into action and jumped through the fast-food restaurant's drive-thru window Saturday to help the customer, reported CNN. The teen reportedly saw the woman choking as she popped back out of the window to inform the customer that the rest of her order was on the way.

"She was coughing like crazy, and I noticed she was gagging. Her daughter was in the passenger seat, and she looked so freaked out. I immediately knew 'Oh, no, she's choking,'" Raley told the outlet.

The teen knew exactly what she needed to do at that moment, thanks to a Red Cross training she received when she was 11. She quickly jumped through the drive-thru window and helped the woman by performing the Heimlich maneuver, a simple life-saving technique that helps to expel the trapped object from a person's airway. Meanwhile, she told her manager and the woman's daughter, who was in the passenger seat of the car when the incident took place, to call 911.

Though Raley was not successful in her first couple of attempts, she eventually pushed the food out of the woman's airway with the help of a bystander.

"We worked together and were able to successfully dislodge the food from her throat," Raley recalled.

Edina Police Department awarded the teen $100 from a fund allocated for people who are doing well in the community, WAAYTV said in a report.

Apparently, it was the first time Raley performed the life-saving technique. According to her, she was aware of the seriousness of the situation and was ready to do it.

Raley's parents, who are proud of their daughter's heroic act, said the teen was diagnosed with autism when she was younger.

"We always worried it was going to be a challenge for her, and it's done a complete 180," her father, Tom, said. "It's actually been a blessing and a gift at this point. All the things we worried about never happened."

Paul Ostergaard, the owner-operator of the McDonald's outlet, also commended Raley for her deed.

"We are incredibly proud of Raley and her quick, heroic actions over the weekend to help one of our valued customers. Raley truly personifies what it is to be a hero, and we are incredibly lucky to have her as a highly-valued crew member at our Eden Prairie restaurant location," he noted in a written statement to CNN.