Northern Ont. brothers being hailed as heroes for saving life of toddler

Brothers from Manitoulin Island hailed as heroes What started as a trip to the movies for two brothers lead to a life-saving experience for a two-year-old at a Sudbury-area restaurant.

It's not every day you hear the term 'hero' thrown around, but employees at an Espanola restaurant say two brothers earned the title after saving the life of a two-year-old boy Wednesday night.

"We came in for a nice family dinner, got our appetizers and then my son started eating some bread and shoved his mouth a little too full," said Brittany Ackworth, who also works at the Cortina Restaurant.

Ackworth's son, Jameson, had started to gag and he suddenly started turning blue.

"I started smacking him on the back. One of the servers here, Monique, started giving him the Heimlich. His father picked him up and was trying and then, Talon came out of nowhere," she told CTV News in an interview.

"We didn't see anyone else in the restaurant and (he) said he had medical training and we said 'here, take him.'"

Talon and Mskwoka McGregor stopped at the restaurant for a bite to eat.

They had originally looked to drive into Sudbury to see the new Avatar movie, but at the last minute changed their plans and stayed in town after seeing the condition of the roads.

"It was my brothers' last day here, home for the break," said Talon.

"The weather took a turn for the worse and we didn't want to risk driving at all, so we, last minute, decided to get some dinner and drinks in town to celebrate him going back (to school)."

The pair had settled in to enjoy some food and beverages when they heard the commotion on the far side of the restaurant.

"We noticed there was a little one," Talon said.

"He was having a tough time because he was hunched over and so that gave some hints. I ran over there and, having some medical background, I offered and asked if there was anything I could do."

Talon, a community health nurse by trade on Birch Island, told CTV News in an interview it was at that point that adrenaline took over.

"I instantly did the Heimlich, we call it ab thrusts now, but I did the Heimlich. Just trying my best -- I know he's a little one, but you have to as hard as you can -- and some back thrusts in trying to get that food up," he said.

Tunnel vision set in, minutes felt like hours, he said.

While the older McGregor brother never relented in his life-saving efforts, the younger one tried to calm his family members.

"It wasn't looking too good," said Talon.

"He eventually lost consciousness, he wasn't reacting at all now, there was no crying, so that's when it was very scary."

He knew the paramedics had been called and he was trying to buy some time until they could arrive.

"I honestly had to walk away once Talon had him,'" said Ackworth.

"One of the servers pulled me aside and gave me a big bear hug and said 'it's going to be okay, it's going to be okay.'"

Talon said he knew it was a good sign when Jameson started to cough up a little and cry because it meant he was starting to get air.

"So I continued just as many back thrusts as I could and eventually he started to cough up more and more food and he was able to start crying hard and that was huge," Talon said.

"He was sitting on my lap and he was crying. Eventually, he looked at me, he turned back and looked, it looked like he had no idea what he had went through and that it was just another day in the restaurant."

Paramedics arrived and transported the young boy to Espanola Regional Hospital where he could be assessed by a doctor.

His mother said by the time they arrived at the hospital, Jameson was completely unfazed by his ordeal.

"It's a miracle," she said.

"We were so lucky that they (Talon and Mskwoka McGregor) were here."

Her boyfriend later called Talon to give him an update on the little one.

Talon told CTV News, he was just happy to be in the right place at the right time.

"It was good to see him, good to see that he was doing okay. I couldn't imagine the parents in what they went through, it's scary. I'm just glad that the family is doing well and that they're able to have this second chance, I like to call it."

Christa Campbell, the head server at the Cortina Restaurant, witnessed the ordeal.

As a mother of two adult sons, Campbell said it's hard not to be moved by what happened that night inside the restaurant.

"I don't think if they hadn't been here, I don't want to know what would have happened. It was divine intervention, I don't know, but it was a miracle," she said.

Mskwoka has since returned to his studies at the Royal Military College in Kingston and Talon, to his job at the clinic on Birch Island.

Talon said it's an experience he'll never forget and he's been humbled by all the attention the event has received on social media.

"I was glad I was there at the right place at the right time. They definitely deserve the world and that little guy deserved a second chance," said Talon.