County officials commended three jail correction officers for saving an inmate's life Dec. 30 during breakfast.

Butler County Sheriff Mike Slupe presented the commendation Tuesday during the jail's board meeting to Aaron Sloboda, David Christie and Mike Williams. Warden Joe DeMore and Slupe said during the meeting that the officers helped an inmate who was choking on food. The officers assisted by performing the Heimlich maneuver on the 25-year-old inmate.

The officers were not made available for comment, but according to an incident report anonymously mailed to the Butler Eagle, the event occurred around 8:30 a.m., and the inmate could have died without the attention of the three correction officers and other inmates who helped the officers.

In the report, written by an officer, another inmate alerted Sloboda to the medical emergency, which at first was thought to be related to the victim's diabetes. Medical personnel were called and a nurse checked the inmate's blood sugar levels.

“(The inmate) then began what appeared to be (a seizure),” an officer wrote.

Two inmates were asked to help Sloboda get the victim on the ground. Additional units and nursing staff were summoned.

Sloboda reportedly noticed the inmate was choking.

Two other officers, Williams and Christie, appeared as Sloboda picked up the seizing inmate around his waist, so that he could apply the Heimlich maneuver, according to the report. Williams at some point offered to take over for Sloboda, who, holding up the inmate, was beginning to tire. Christie eventually took over and Sloboda said he saw something stuck in the inmate's throat.

Sloboda reportedly swept the victim's mouth and throat and attempted to keep his airways open. The inmate then began coughing, “trying to clear his airways the next few minutes, along with gaining skin color and some consciousness.”