24-year-old Ellis Johnson was travelling to a music festival when the incident occurred
Ellis Johnson with his mum Della(Image: Supplied)
A proud mum told of the moment her son stepped in to save a woman’s life mid-flight after she began choking on a crisp. Ellis Johnson, 24, from Woolton, was travelling from Liverpool to Malta this morning (Saturday September 20) when the incident happened.
The off-duty firefighter, based at Toxteth station, was heading abroad for a music festival when he jumped in to help a woman on the easyJet flight who he noticed was beginning to choke.
Ellis’ mum, Della, said she wasn’t surprised her son stepped in to save the woman’s life. She told the ECHO: “He’s really low-key, Ellis. He told me what had happened and I was like, ‘no way!’ I was absolutely buzzing. I’m super proud.
“He’s young, Ellis, but he’s also quite savvy. He always reacts well.”
Speaking to the ECHO about what happened, Ellis said: “I heard kind of a gagging noise from behind and didn’t know what it was so I turned and saw the woman was choking.
“The air hostess was doing the Heimlich manoeuvre so I thought she had it under control but it got to the point where she wasn’t exhaling at all, she was properly choking.
“I didn’t want to be the guy to stand up and say, ‘I’m first aid trained,’ but I thought I had to. I took my seatbelt off, went over and did the Heimlich and it came out first time, so it was happy days.
“She was all right and, as soon as it came out, she sat down, had a drink of water, got a bit of colour back in her face and she was good to go. I made sure she was okay afterwards – obviously, she was out of breath so I stayed with her until she was okay.”
Ellis, who has been a firefighter for three years, said it’s the first time he’s had to use his first aid training as a civilian. He added: “I’m definitely pleased I was there. I was a bit hesitant at first but I thought they were handling it, but it got to the point where I felt I had to intervene.”
Mum Della said this isn’t the first time that Ellis has gone above and beyond to help others, explaining: “When Ellis was 16, something else happened – he wasn’t in the fire service then. He’s like our little hero. He was coming home from a party at about midnight, and he saw a hit-and-run. He stayed with the victim.
“Then, a year or two ago, he talked someone down off a roof.”
The proud mum continued: “My other son is also in the fire service, and he’s with a girl who’s in the fire service. My husband’s in the fire service, so it’s definitely in their blood. So, hearing that today, I was like, ‘Well, of course Ellis saved someone’s life. That’s just Ellis.’
“My other son has just received two commendations from the Chief Fire Officer. They have a rewards ceremony every year and this one was last Wednesday. He was at the Water Street incident. We’re a family of heroes – except for me!”
Reflecting on what it means as a mum, she added: “If you ask me how I feel, ‘proud’ doesn’t do it justice. I feel really happy to say they’re my kids.
“I remember picking them up from nursery when they were little and they’d go, ‘That’s my mum!’ Now it’s reversed and I’m going, ‘That’s my son!’ It makes me feel really good.”