Autistic teen in Indiana hailed as hero for saving friend's life
Posted: May 23, 2012 10:24 PM EDT | Updated: Nov 6, 2014 12:34 AM EDT
CHALMERS, Ind. -- An autistic teen in Indiana is being hailed a hero for saving a friend's life.
15-year-old Mason Stokes is a Boy Scout who attends Frontier Junior-Senior High School in Chalmers.
Because of his autism, he doesn't understand most facial features or body language. But when a friend started choking at lunch, Mason immediately sprung into action.
"Out of instinct, I just jumped up and ran over to give the Heimlich Maneuver to him,” said Stokes.
"I went into the office to see how he was doing; he gave me a thumbs up sign."
That's when Mason knew he'd save his friend's life.