Some quick action by a Texas high school cheerleader helped save the life of a toddler who was choking on a piece of candy.

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Tyra Winters, a senior at Rockwall High School, was waving to a homecoming crowd while sitting on a float when she heard a woman calling for help, KTVT reported.

Winters saw Nicole Hornback holding Clarke, her 2-year-old son, so she jumped off the float to help.

"He was turning purple, so I immediately jumped off the float, I ran down to the kiddo, and I was like, 'I got him' and I grabbed him from the mom," Winters told KTVT. "I grabbed him and tilted him and I gave a good three back thrusts and he ended up spitting up."

Hornback said she tried to give her son the Heimlich maneuver but was not successful.

"I was sitting right next to him. I just happened to look over. There was no noise, no coughing, no breathing," Hornback told KTVT

Winters took over and saved the day

“She saved my baby,” Hornback told the television station. “I commend her for being a teenager and being trained.”

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The city of Brookhaven's mayor and City Council last week decided to remove the colored panes of glass from the dome of Brookhaven's new City Centre after residents objected to the brightness of the colors, seen here Friday, June 27, 2025. (Reed Williams/AJC)

Credit: Reed Williams/AJC