Chick-fil-A in Columbus, Georgia, reported via a Facebook post on October 12, 2020 that employee Zack Kokenzie saved a choking child in the drive-thru.
According to the post, Kokenzie heard ‘panicked cries’ coming from a vehicle in the drive-thru. Eagle Scout Kokenzie calmly grabbed a pair of scissors handed to him by a co-worker through the drive-thru window and he used them to cut through a seat belt that had gotten wrapped around the child’s windpipe. Other’s around were attempting to help before Kokenzie but were unsuccessful in freeing the child.
Alex Vann, the store’s owner and operator said, “Zack and our team acted quickly in rescuing a child from a life-threatening situation. I am proud of Zack, Justin, Zachary B. and our team for their quick thinking and quick responses. This could have been far worse, but Zack and others were in the right place with the right training and the right attitude to potentially save the life of one of our customers. We are glad everyone is alright.”
Here is the entire story taken from Chick-fil-A Manchester Expressway Columbus Georgia’s Facebook page:
Chick-fil-A Employee and Eagle Scout “Cowboy” Rescues Choking Child in Drive Thru
October 12, 2020
Columbus, GA
Today Zack “Cowboy” Kokenzie saved a choking child in Chick-fil-A Manchester Expressway’s drive thru just after lunch from a life-threatening situation.
Shortly after the busy lunch rush today, frantic cries were heard in the drive thru line. The cries were coming from an SUV just outside the drive thru window. A father was seen rushing to the back of his SUV.
With COVID-19, Chick-fil-A Manchester Expressway’s dining room is still closed, which ensures our drive thru is staying busy and we have multiple team members around the building to expedite quick service. One of those team members was a Columbus High School graduate and an Eagle Scout: Zack “Cowboy” Kokenzie. Nicknamed “Cowboy” for nearly breaking his finger while riding a horse that tried to buck him off recently, Zack demonstrates a calm under pressure.
Today, Zack heard panicked cries coming from a vehicle in drive thru. Zack due to his Eagle Scout days and being CPR certified went toward the commotion. He observed the father and another customer trying to free what appeared to be a choking child child in the rear seat. The cries were from the other children in the vehicle. It appeared that the seat belt had become wrapped around the child’s windpipe. Another customer had left his vehicle and was trying unsuccessfully to assist the father in removing the seat belt by reaching through the back window. Fellow team member Zachary Bullock passed a pair of scissors through the window and Zack “Cowboy” Kokenzie calmly walked over to the rear of the vehicle and cut through the seatbelt in seconds freeing the child.
Store owner/operator Alex Vann expressed his appreciation to Cowboy and the team, “Zack and our team acted quickly in rescuing a child from a life-threatening situation. I am proud of Zack, Justin, Zachary B. and our team for their quick thinking and quick responses. This could have been far worse, but Zack and others were in the right place, with the right training and the right attitude to potentially save the life of one of our customers. We are glad everyone is alright.”
Great job Cowboy and to our team for responding so quickly to avert a life threatening situation. We are thankful that everyone is okay.
The Boy Scout Motto is “Be Prepared” and Zack certainly was.