Casey De Farria was playing with her then-four-year-old daughter like any other day when things suddenly took a terrifying turn.
The Sydney mum-of-two and daughter had been playing with a toy doll that changed colour when submerged in a bowl of iced water.
Within seconds, she began silently choking in front of her mum.
‘She picked up an ice cube, popped it in her mouth, and to my horror, she tilted her head back at the same time. I have no idea why,’ Casey recalled in a CPR Kids video.
‘The ice cube slid straight down her throat. It was a complete airway obstruction and she was not able to breathe. It was completely silent.’
The quick-thinking mum – who is trained in CPR and first aid – said she remained calm as her ‘mind went straight into action mode’.
‘My daughter was panicking but I focused on reassuring her and trying to keep her still so that I could deliver back blows,’ she told Daily Mail.
‘At first, it was hard to give her back blows because she was panicking and moving around. So I was trying to deliver the most effective back blows possible.’
Sydney mum Casey De Farria was playing with her four-year-old daughter like any other day when things suddenly took a terrifying turn
The mum delivered five sharp back blows between her daughter’s shoulder blades using the heel of her palm.
‘In the back of my mind, I knew I needed to grab my phone and call Triple-000 if the first back blows didn’t work,’ Casey said.
‘The sad reality here is that if it had gotten to a point where she wasn’t allowing me to do the first aid, she would have eventually become compliant because she would have been unconscious.’
Fortunately, after five back blows, she dislodged the ice cube from her daughter’s throat, prompting her to vomit.
‘She was quite distressed, as was I, but I was keeping as calm as possible,’ she said.
‘I’m just so grateful that everything turned out OK in the end… I was able to recognise what was happening quickly and knew what to do.’
Before the terrifying ordeal, Casey – who is the social media manager for CPR Kids – said she never imagined ice cubes were a potential choking hazard for children.
‘I didn’t really – at least not the size of the ice cubes we had, I thought they would have been too big to be a risk,’ she explained.
‘I thought they had melted a little in the water they were sitting in – I also didn’t expect my child to pop one into her mouth… kids always surprise us with these things.’
Casey said her daughter choked on an ice cube when she was playing with a toy doll. The figurine could changed colour when submerged in a bowl of iced water
She said she feels extremely lucky she was there to save her daughter, aware the outcome could have been dire if she hadn’t been around.
‘It scares me (to think about it), but I am just so grateful that I knew how to respond and that I was able to dislodge the ice cube quickly,’ she said.
‘If I had not been there observing this as it took place… I would not have known that it was happening at all.’
She said her kids are no longer allowed to pop an ice cube into their mouths unless the ice is crushed or broken into tiny pieces.
‘It took me a while to allow them to have ice in drinks again after the incident,’ the mum said.
The incident took place in early 2023 – but every year, Casey shares her story to remind other parents how quickly an everyday moment can become an emergency.
‘I’m sharing our story to help make other parents and carers aware that ice cubes are a choking hazard for little ones,’ she said.
She said she feels extremely lucky she was there to save her daughter, aware the outcome could have been dire if she hadn’t been around
The mum said when she first shared the story two years ago, a few parents responded: ‘Wouldn’t the ice just melt?’
‘Yes, eventually it would have, but in these situations, acting quickly is crucial. Every second counts,’ she said.
‘So please, parents and carers, be mindful – ice cubes are a choking hazard for little ones. And of course, know what to do in an emergency, it’s so important.’
Her post has struck a chord with thousands of parents, with many sharing similar stories after realising they had never known ice cubes were a choking hazard.
The nurses from CPR Kids advise parents to avoid giving young kids ice cubes.
‘They can create a complete airway obstruction,’ the nurses said, adding: ‘Know what to do in an emergency… confidence and skills matter when seconds count.’
