Ryan Becomes an Honorary Firefighter
Channel: San Bernardino County Fire
Date: 2022-03-18

On February 22, 2022, Ryan Asher displayed his bravery by performing the Heimlich Maneuver on his mother, Stephanie Clark, ultimately saving her life. 

Ryan is a 16-year-old, autistic teen that learned how to perform the Heimlich Maneuver from his late grandmother, Myrtle Goldie, not knowing that one day he would be using this skill set on his own mom. This life-saving event took place when Ryan noticed his mother choking and in distress, he immediately ran to her and started the Heimlich Maneuver.  

The Heimlich Maneuver is nothing new to Ryan. When he was 5 years old, his grandmother Myrtle administered the same maneuver on Ryan when he was choking.

“It’s not every day we come across brave young men such as Ryan,” stated Assistant Chief Dan Mejia. “Ryan showed courage in the midst of a crisis and immediately jumped into action. May he be an inspiration to others.” 

The Heimlich Maneuver is a simple technique that can be learned by anyone to help save lives. An individual performing this procedure needs to carry different skills such as patience, trust and confidence to ensure that it is done correctly. Thousands of people die every year from just choking. Choking alone is the fourth leading cause of unintentional injury deaths. (Source: NSC. https://sbcfire.co/3tl1cTw) 

Today at Fire Station 75 in Muscoy, Ryan was given a life-saving award and made an Honorary Firefighter with the San Bernardino County Fire Protection District. His ultimate reward, a ride in the fire engine! 

Ryan was quick to say a few words after riding along in the fire engine, “The fire engine wasn’t loud but it was fun!.”