No one realized a mother was choking on a chicken nugget — until her 6-year-old’s recalled his Boy Scout training

It was supposed to be an ordinary family dinner at the O'Connor household in London on May 16, 2026. However, everything became silent in a split second when Anna O'Connor found herself unable to breathe. At first, no one seemed to understand what was happening to her. Not only could she not breathe, but she also couldn't make a sound or alert an adult to let them know that she was choking on a chicken nugget. While panic could've easily taken over such a moment, it was her 6-year-old son, Conor Tuohy, who stepped up and took control of the situation, saving her life, as per the BBC. A clip of their interview was also posted by @bbclondon on May 18, 2026.

Scouts' training saved his mother's life

As soon as Tuohy noticed that his mother was in trouble, he remembered the emergency first aid skills he had learned with the Squirrel Scouts, the youngest section of the Scout Association in the UK. Without wasting even a split second, he started giving strong back slaps to his mother, recalling that this was how he had been taught to help someone who was choking. 

Although many might not expect someone so young to handle such a frightening situation, Tuohy stayed calm and continued until the food finally dislodged. His mother didn't have words for her son's timely intervention. "I'm beyond proud. Conor's taken it all in his stride and doesn't realize how big a moment it was. I'm immensely proud of him," she said. When asked if he thought he would have to use the skill in real life, he nodded slightly.

A young hero gets his due

Tuohy's incredible gesture put him alongside 20 other Scouts, who were honored in a ceremony for saving lives, raising money, and making an impact in their respective communities. In fact, he even got praise from Chief Scout Dwyane Fields for how he not only remembered the teachings of Scouts but also implemented them with utmost perfection, saving his mother's life. "They've stepped up and made a difference when it mattered most," he added. 

Why first aid training matters

What makes young Tuohy's achievement even more impressive is the fact that overall in the UK, youngsters don't respond quite well in such situations. According to CPD Online, despite over 400,000 injuries occurring in schools across the UK every year, only a small fraction of people know how to provide first aid. In fact, in such situations, nearly 44% of the young people believe that they would panic. Meanwhile, almost 46% stated that they would not know what to do to help the person in need. "If it wasn't for Conor being in Squirrels, who knows what could have happened," O'Connor said.

Scouts assemble

People in the comments were praising the six-year-old for his feat. @springhallgrouppractice wrote, "What a smart boy! And proof that first aid training is so important for everyone." At the same time, @jonathanerich commented, "As a former USA Boy Scout, I'm so pleased to see our UK fellows learning vital skills through scouting. Congratulations to Conor for his quick thinking and bravery, and to his mother for supporting his scouting journey!"

More Scoop Upworthy

9-year-old learned CPR from a video. The next day, he used it to save a man at his church

14-year-old had seconds to act — and used an unexpected weapon to save his sister from a kidnapper

6-year-old girl is being hailed a hero for saving mom's life with her timely actions