A NINE-YEAR-OLD boy has been hailed a hero after saving his father's life with first aid skills he had learned less than 24 hours earlier.

Bank worker Keith Lowis was eating his breakfast when he inhaled a piece of his Raisin, Oats and More cereal which then became stuck in his windpipe, blocking his airway.

As the 42-year-old devoted Darlington FC fan from Bishop Auckland choked, and with no other family members around, his son, Jack, sprung into action and began using the life-saving techniques demonstrated to him the previous day during an assembly at his primary school.

Mr Lowis said: "Before I knew it he was slapping me on the back. It didn’t work the first time, so he said he would phone an ambulance. But he just did an extra couple of slaps and, thankfully, that worked.

“It was awful - just that feeling when you’re in trouble. Without a doubt the first aid assembly helped him and probably saved my life.

“I’m very proud - he’s a little hero.”

Following the incident, Jack's parents are calling for first aid training to be made an integral part of the school curriculum and are calling for more children to be taught the potentially life-saving skills.

His proud mother, nurse Lisa, said while her children, Jack and Holly, 11, already had some first aid knowledge due to her career, it was fortuitous Jack had received specific advice on how to help people choking the day before the emergency situation unfolded at their home.

The 35-year-old agency nurse and her daughter were in Newcastle following a stay in the city the night before when the incident happened on Saturday, November 4.

“The day before at Prince Bishops Primary School the children learned about choking, scalds and how to be safe around bonfires and fireworks.

“He obviously listened and took it on board, he’s awesome.”

Mr Lowis, 42, said: “I was sat at the table eating cereal when all of a sudden I took a breath in and it went down and blocked my airway.

“I started coughing and Jack came straight over and asked if I was okay, but I couldn’t answer him."

Mrs Lowis said after telling Jack's teachers about his actions he was named pupil of the week and presented with a badge in front of the whole school.

The quick-thinking goalkeeper for Newton Aycliffe Junior Football Club has even earned himself a new nickname - Safe Hands - following his heroic actions.

Mr and Mrs Lowis said first aid training should be made a compulsory, rather than optional part of the school curriculum and are calling for more children to be taught the potentially life-saving skills.

All major health organisations and first aid groups have pushed for first aid to be a core part of education in every secondary school for a number of years, but a Private Members’ Bill introduced into the 2015/2016 Parliament only progressed to its first reading.

The couple's call follows a drive to teach more children CPR to help people suffering cardiac arrest.

Last month saw North East Ambulance Service volunteers deliver life-saving training sessions in schools across the region, after research by the British Heart Foundation revealed 85 per cent of people in the North-East would be reluctant to perform CPR on those suffering from an arrest.

Jack was one of thousands of children who took part in St John Ambulance’s Big First Aid Lesson on November 3.

Mel Fox, director of training at St John Ambulance said: “We believe that it is never too young to learn life saving skills.

"By making first aid easy, accessible and exciting to learn, it is possible for us to create a generation of life savers like Jack, who have the confidence and knowledge of how to help in an emergency should they ever need it.”

If you want your child to learn essential first aid skills you can access the lesson by watching it on demand www.sja.org.uk/bfal