Audi Anderson, age 4, died after choking on food while eating in the cafeteria at Sherwood Elementary School. The incident happened on Friday, Sept. 19. The boy was taken to Baptist Hospital and later Sacred Heart Hospital where he died four days later.
According to report released by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, the incident was reported as a cardiac arrest.
The officer stated in the report, “Upon arrival, I was flagged down by an unknown school staff member and told to go to the school’s clinic. I grabbed my agency-issued AED and ran to the school’s clinic.”
The school’s medical technician was performing CPR by doing chest compressions on the boy. The officer used the AED and felt a faint pulse on the boy’s wrist and neck area. Anderson was having difficulty breathing.
“The AED analyzed V/Anderson and advised no shock, but to continue compressions,” stated the deputy. “I took over applying chest compressions and checked for an airway obstruction. Anderson began to spit up what appeared to be blood.”
There was an additional note: “It should be noted, this incident began in the school cafeteria during lunch. V/Anderson began to choke on the food that he was eating and was noticed by school staff to be in distress. V/Anderson was in breathing distress for an unknown length of time.” WKRG spoke with boy’s mother and reported her son had choked on a meatball.
Sources have shared that the Pre-K student didn’t receive the proper first aid in the cafeteria. The adults allegedly tried to get him to drink water.
We may have another School District cover-up. This is becoming a national story.
Read the report. I’ve redacted teachers’ addresses and phone numbers – Report-redacted
Questions:
Who is watching over four-year-olds when they are eating?
If school staff noticed the young boy was choking, why didn’t they deal with the basic first aid steps?
What is the first aid training for cafeteria staff and other adults in the cafeteria?
Why wasn’t the officer told upon arrival about the choking?
Will the School District investigate the matter and issue a full report? Or will we have to wait for the lawsuit to tell parents what happened at the school?
What are the best practices implemented at the other elementary schools?
Either way, a young life has been lost. A death that most likely could have been prevented with the proper adult supervision and care.