A RADCLIFFE teenager has been honoured after saving her baby brother from choking.

Sophie Lomax, aged 15, leapt into action when 15-month-old Ethan started choking on a crisp he was eating while their parents put away the shopping.

The St Gabriel’s High School pupil used the first aid skills she had learned with St John Ambulance Cadets after seeing her brother had gone red in the face and was desperately trying to cough.

Her lifesaving actions were celebrated last week when she was presented with a certificate of commendation in a ceremony at the St John Ambulance Radcliffe unit in Sion Street.

Fellow cadet, Ramat Ayoola, also received equal high praise for saving the life of a man in the street.

Sophie, of Kilburn Road, said: “It took me a couple of seconds to realise that Ethan was actually choking.

“I heard him struggling for breath and when I looked at him I could see that his face had turned very red, and then I realised that I had to do what could to help him.

“I did three or four firm back slaps and the little piece of crisp was dislodged and Ethan started to cry.

“My mum and dad had heard the commotion and ran in to see what was going on.

“It was dad who first said that if I hadn’t been there Ethan could have choked.”

Sophie, who also has a younger sister Amber, aged 10, first became a cadet in 2010 before taking a break and returning to the group last year.

She added: “I’m so glad that I’d got home from school early or I wouldn’t have been there to help Ethan when he really needed it.

“And I’m so happy that I went back to the St John Ambulance last year because it probably saved my brother’s life.”

Fellow cadet Ramat Ayoola helped save a man’s life while helping out at a charity clothes drive at Manchester Student Union.

The 17-year-old saw the man, who was brought into the building on the brink of collapse, was suffering a heart attack so she called an ambulance immediately and helped keep him calm until paramedics arrived.

She said: “When the man was brought in, it was just instinct to help. “He was clearly very poorly and I thought he was probably having a heart attack so called for an ambulance.

“It really does go to show that you never know when you might need to use lifesaving skills.”

Graham Ellis, regional youth manager for St John Ambulance, said: “We are so proud of them and their actions show that first aid really can be the difference between life and death.”

Ramat is currentlyworking towards her Grand Prior award, the highest a cadet can achieve, and as part of that, along with fellow cadet Sebastien Rollinson, is arranging a first aid challenge for all St John Ambulance cadets in the area.

Teams from cadet units in Bury, Prestwich and Heaton Park will take part in the challenge which will involve dealing with first aid scenarios.