A Scout’s quick thinking has been praised as “out of this world” after he used his first aid training to stop his best friend choking to death.

Luca Marcus, 11, performed the Heimlich manoeuvre on Joe Wilkins after the ten-year-old swallowed a boiled sweet and it became stuck.

Luca’s father Robert said: “His mother and I are incredibly proud of him. Luca showed great presence of mind and he really might have saved Joe’s life.”

The boys had planned a sleepover and were enjoying a film in the attic of Joe’s parents’ house in Steyning Road, Rottingdean, on Friday, February 10.

The friends, who go to St Margaret’s CE School in Rottingdean, were having fun with Joe’s 13-year-old brother Max when a boiled sweet Joe was eating got caught in his windpipe.

Mr Marcus, 50, heard the story the following day. He said: “Joe started to choke, at which point his brother and Luca acted quickly and tried to dislodge the sweet by smacking him on the back but that had no effect and Joe carried on choking.

“So the boys were getting very scared and started to panic. Max raced downstairs to fetch a parent, while Joe was still asphyxiating.

“At this point Luca remembered his first aid training and attempted the Heimlich manoeuvre – and up popped the sweet and Joe was saved.”

He said it had been a frightening and traumatic experience for both boys.

Luca, also from Rottingdean, said: “It was really scary. Joe was choking for about 30 seconds. He had a bon bon and all of a sudden he started coughing. Then his brother started shouting and I got scared.

“We started hitting him on the back and it wasn’t working. So when Max went downstairs I tried the Heimlich manoeuvre and on about the third try it worked and he finally stopped choking.

“This has taught me to be brave in situations like this and not panic. If I’d let panic take over me I probably wouldn’t have been able to do it.”

Joe said: “I felt really really scared when it was happening.

“But I did think, even if Luca doesn’t get it out, my mum will. Luca was amazing, out of this world. I didn’t know he knew the Heimlich manoeuvre.”

Joe’s mother Alison said the boys were “upset but OK” when she burst into the room seconds later.

Luca belongs to the Brighton 23rd Scout Group and it was there he learned how to perform the anti-choking move in the course of learning his emergency aid badge just two months ago.

Mary Kemp, who led the training, said: “We focus on staying calm to deal with emergency situations and cover the first aid skills that will save lives.”

Since the drama Luca has been congratulated by his Scout troop and classmates.