Alex Safran, an eighth-grade student at Butler Catholic School, didn't realize he would be saving the life of his good friend, Mason Grenci, when they walked into religion class.

Earlier this month, the two boys were in class, listening to the teacher, when Mason started to choke on a portion of his water bottle that came apart and lodged in his throat.

Mason recalled that he couldn't talk quite right and had to signal with his hands for help.

Mason thought at first that he could get it out on his own.

“I tried coughing, I tried forcing it. Nothing could get it out.”

Alex, who was sitting in front of Mason, turned around and saw that Mason showed the telltale signs of choking: a red face, watery eyes and an inability to talk.

“I choked before, so I knew his symptoms,” Alex said. “I told the teacher. She went to go get help, but I didn't know if it would take too long so I just did the Heimlich.”

Alex had no formal training in how to perform the Heimlich maneuver and worked from memory based on what his mother did to him when he had choked before.

“I kind of trusted my gut and hopefully, I did it right,” Alex said.

Alex was one of only a few to jump into action while the rest of the students were stunned, Mason said.

“(The other students) were basically in shock. Alex was the only one who was even staying calm,” Mason said. “(Alex) had stayed very calm. He instructed the teacher on what was going on. He stayed so calm throughout the whole thing, really level-headed. He told me to stand up and did the Heimlich like it was no big deal.”

After Mason could breathe, his mother was called, but his day proceeded like any other, attending Mass after class.

For him, it wasn't choking that was the painful part; it was his racing thoughts.

“Physically, you can feel like, 'I can't breathe,' but almost all of that went away as my thoughts mainly took over,” Mason said. “I was scared mostly. I was scared that help wouldn't come quick enough ... it was just fear, fear of dying, fear of choking.”

Mason said the incident proved to be a learning exercise for the other students.

“A lot of kids (at school) are now mentally prepared, especially the kids that were with us (in class). I have a better understanding now. I know how to do the Heimlich now, and I know what to do if you're by yourself, and you were choking. I think it's great because it's going to help other people.”

To perform the Heimlich, an individual stands behind whoever is choking, wrapping their arms around that person's waist. Alex said to make one hand into a fish and wrap the other hand around it, pushing that into the person's abdomen with a quick, upward movement.

Alex, who has known Mason since kindergarten, just feels thankful that Mason is still around.

“I feel a little accomplished, happy I saved him. Happy that Mason is still here today,” Alex said.

Next year, Mason will attend Butler Intermediate High School, and Alex is still deciding between Butler and Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic, he said.

But Mason thinks it would be great to have Alex by his side. After that Wednesday at school, Mason bought some candy for Alex with a homemade card, making sure to include Life-Savers, Mason said.

Even though Mason is grateful that Alex saved him, Alex is not the type to hold this over his head, Mason said.

“He knows that if he needed something, he could come to me,” Mason said.

All Alex asks of Mason: “Be careful, that's it.”