An Asda worker has been praised for her “quick-thinking” that ultimately saved the life of a little boy in a Bolton store.
The supermarket chain has praised its employee Joanne Lang – who was working on the self-scan checkouts at the Farnworth branch in Bolton – after she sprang into action to stop a little boy from choking on a sweet after she spotted he was struggling to breathe while out shopping with his mum.
Joanne’s quick-thinking meant she was able to successfully dislodge the gummy snake snake, which the toddler brought into the store, by leaning him over and “slapping him firmly on the back” two times.
She said the shocking incident “all happened very quickly”, and described her actions an act of “pure instinct”.
“I saw the little boy out of the corner of my eye sitting in a trolley and knew straight away that something was wrong as his face was going red and he was having difficulty breathing,” Joanne explained.
ADVERTISEMENT
“He wasn’t coughing so I knew something was stuck so used the heel of my hand to hit him on the back a couple of times and the snake came out.
“I think he’d managed to swallow it whole and it got stuck.
ADVERTISEMENT
Joanne from our Farnworth store sprang into action to stop a little boy from choking on a sweet after spotting he was struggling to breathe. She rushed over to the boy, leant him forward and slapped him firmly on the back twice to dislodge the sweet: https://t.co/aZs3Fr7St7pic.twitter.com/DjHFBz8i98
“When it came out the boy, who was aged about two or three, just looked at me with a massive grin on his face – it was such a relief that he was okay.”
Joanne – who has worked at the store for 18 months, and has some prior first aid training – explained that the little boy’s mother was “in shock” following the incident, but made sure to thank her before they left.
Rita Charleston – Customer Service Manager at Asda Farnworth – decided to nominate Joanne for an Asda ‘Service Superstar’ award for her actions, explaining that they are “so proud” of her and that what she did was “absolutely amazing”.
“She single-handedly saved that child from choking and her quick reactions really did save the day.
“The situation could have had a very different outcome if it wasn’t for Joanne.”
Featured Image – Asda
Trending
Major pop star crowns humble rice and three cafe as ‘Jewel of Manchester’ ahead of sold-out gig
Thomas Melia
A beloved city centre takeaway has been given the title of ‘Jewel of Manchester’ by chart-topping UK singer Sam Smith.
Known for hits like ‘Stay With Me’, ‘I’m Not The Only One’ and more recently ‘Unholy’, UK pop-ballad act Sam Smith also likes to drop a food review every once in a while.
Currently on the road with a run of shows in Manchester and London for their ‘To Be Free’ live shows, Sam Smith is stopping off at some of our city’s much-loved spots.
On their food-reviewing account titled ‘Sam Served’, where they adopt the aptly-fitting nickname ‘Ham Smith’, Sam has visited restaurants across the globe – and most recently turned their attention to Manchester’s own This & That.
Smith decided to pop in and grab a cheeky rice and three from long-standing backstreet food business This & That, and it certainly went down a treat.
After sampling their amazing selection of meat, vegetable and vegan curries, the musician crowned this family-run Indian takeaway a ‘Jewel of Manchester’.
The hitmaker described this Northern Quarter Indian eatery as ‘Everything food should be’ and definitely enjoyed all the curries on offer ‘leaving belly and heart full’.
This & That prides itself on affordable and comforting food with its ‘Rice and Three Curries’ starting from just £6 – not bad for a city centre foodie spot.
Sam has racked up an impressive 490k followers via their ‘Sam Served’ profile, with famous faces like Lily Allen, Denise Welch and CMAT all wanting to know the superstar’s foodie thoughts.
After enjoying a curry or three, Sam Smith also made sure to feed their soul to by venturing down to Afflecks and getting lost in the music at Mars Tapes.
Recognised as one of the UK’s only cassette and tape shops, Mars Tapes lets you flick through their crates of physical media and even preview tracks before you buy with its dedicated listening areas.
It’s safe to say that Smith has ‘Latched’ onto Manchester’s independent business scene and we’re here for it.
The London-born artist has just released their latest album Hazel Eyes and is currently amid a UK residency tour with two dates in Manchester’s Albert Hall and eight shows set for London Coliseum.
You can now have a private sleepover amongst all the history inside Manchester Museum
Emily Sergeant
Manchester Museum is now offering one lucky family the chance to have a sleepover with Stan the Tyrannosaurus rex.
For the first time in Manchester Museum’s history, one lucky family will be given the chance to experience an incredible night at the museum.
This unique opportunity is being offered as part of a prize draw, allowing visitors to find out what happens once the sun goes down inside the Fossils and Dinosaurs gallery – in the company of Stan, the famous Tyrannosaurus rex, of course.
The Fossils and Dinosaurs gallery is one of the most iconic spaces within Manchester Museum.
Having opened to the public all the way back in 1888, it’s part of the museum’s original building designed by celebrated Alfred Waterhouse, who also designed Manchester Town Hall and London’s Natural History Museum.
Not only will the lucky winning family enjoy an overnight stay in the gallery, but they’ll also be treated to a guided torchlight tour of the galleries after the Museum has closed, as well as other fun activities and a film screening too before bed.
You can now have a private sleepover inside Manchester Museum / Credit: The Manc Group
“We can’t be completely sure what happens when the sun goes down in our Fossils and Dinosaurs gallery, because nobody has ever spent the night in there before, but we can only imagine the kind of fun that can be had with Stan the T. rex and his friends,” said Dean Whiteside, Head of Commercial and Operations at Manchester Museum.
“This is a chance to be a part of museum history and enjoy the kind of once-in-a-lifetime experience you can’t usually buy.
“At the same time, Manchester Museum is a charity so, by getting behind this initiative, you’ll be helping to support vital work that impacts the lives of people across Greater Manchester and beyond.”
Fancy it then? You can enter the prize draw by buying a ticket for £5 from the Manchester Museum Shop, with each ticket counting as one entry and the winner set to be chosen at random from all valid entries.
The prize draw is now open and closes on Monday 28 September 2026.
Emily Sergeant -
27th June 2022 
