It was the same as any other ordinary day as senior Lucas Fearn and ceramics teacher Mr. Lewis ate lunch together after school in the ceramics room.

“On Wednesday of the second week of school Lucas and I were just talking and chatting about the semester and what was going on in the world,” Lewis said.

As they were chatting, Lewis began to choke.

“I bit my tongue, and then I moved the bite of the turkey sandwich out of the way and accidentally swallowed it, and then realized I was starting to choke, so I tried to wash it down with some water, and that just kind of made it stick more in my throat,” said Lewis.

Before the incident occurred, Fearn and Lewis had a strong relationship.

“Lucas was one of the students that when I first got this job, was welcoming me to the classroom and welcoming me to Free State,” Lewis said.

Although the dynamic of their relationship shifted after Fearn saved Lewis’s life, their relationship has remained strong.

Lewis was extra-appreciative of Fearn’s rapid response to the emergency because he had experience with emergency response as a certified first responder for two years. Unfortunately, not all members of the student body would have felt as comfortable with the situation as Fearn did. “This presents the question of whether emergency response classes should be offered at Free State,” says Lewis.

“I don’t think that most people realize how common [emergency situations are], but I think [emergency response classes] should be something offered,” said Lewis.

Fearn’s courage pairs well with his plans to join the coast guard.

“I decided I wanted to join the Coast Guard because my grandfather was a Coast Guard captain in the Vietnam War and I knew it would give me the opportunity to serve others,” Fearn said.

In honor of his brave and courageous actions, Fearn was honored with the Red Cross Life Saving Award, one of the organization’s highest honors. If not for Fearn’s actions, Lewis’s life would have truly been threatened and could have been lost.