JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A third-grader in Florida is being called a hero after performing the Heimlich Maneuver to save a friend's life.

Boy Saves Choking Friend

Carl Brown Jr., 9, said he learned the life-saving lesson from a cartoon.

Brown told Jacksonville station WJXT that when he saw his friend Davis Soots choking, he jumped into action.

"His face was all red and his eyes were red and his tears were coming down, that's when he started choking," Brown said.

"I was eating lunch and when I ate a Cheez-It, I accidentally swallowed it and then my face turned red and I started to cry," Soots said.

Brown said he put his arms around Soots and did the Heimlich.

The two boys, already friends, said the incident has brought them even closer.

"He's a lifesaver," Soots said.

Brown's quick thinking caught even the adults at school by surprise.

Brown's father said there isn't enough words in the dictionary to describe how he feels, "To know that he saved someone's life, that he took the role of doing something positive," he said.

"I was just in amazement that a third-grader would know and take action. It's just awesome," Soots' father said.

Brown said he got a lot of high fives at school when others heard about what he did for his friend.