Overview
- The incident occurred earlier this month in a second-grade classroom at Miami Elementary in Clinton Township, Michigan.
- Principal Dr. Katie Shellabarger rushed in after a walkie-talkie alert and used abdominal thrusts for about 30 seconds until the cap was expelled.
- The student, 8-year-old Piper Irwin, recovered at school and was evaluated after 911 arrived as a precaution.
- Shellabarger serves on the school's Medical Emergency Response Team, which provides regular training in CPR, first aid, AED use, and choking response.
- Following the scare, the principal cautioned that smaller bottle caps with slim threads can pop off easily if not secured, and WXYZ noted its digital report was AI-assisted and editorially verified.