Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
7-Year-Old Girl Brain Dead After Allegedly Choking On School Lunch
By
Emma Whitford
Published Oct 28, 2015
Modified Oct 28, 2015
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Emma Whitford
Published Oct 28, 2015
Modified Oct 28, 2015
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
A 7-year-old Brooklyn girl is reportedly brain dead after choking on her school lunch at P.S. 250 in Williamsburg last week. Her family says school employees did not react quickly enough to the emergency situation.
The Post reports that Noelia Echavarria choked on a sandwich during her lunch period last Wednesday. Her family told the tabloid that the first grader had felt pressure to finish her lunch quickly in the past.
"My niece came out or lunchroom eating a sandwich. They say she was choking. She was holding her throat," Echavarria's uncle told ABC.
According to an FDNY spokesman, the department received a call at 2:33 p.m. last Wednesday, and was on the scene by 2:37, with EMTs and paramedics from Brooklyn Hospital. Echavarria was transported to Brooklyn Hospital in critical condition.
A private EMT from a company called Assist Ambulance happened to be driving past the school with a nursing-home patient when he was reportedly flagged down by school administrators—before 911 responders arrived.
"She was already turning blue and that takes a while," the paramedic, Qwasie Reid, told the Post. "People were screaming, but no one was doing anything."
According to the News, Echavarria's uncle was on the scene when Reid arrived. The school had reportedly called family members, not 911, when Echavarria began choking.
Assessing her physical state, Reid reportedly estimated that Echavarria had been choking for at least five minutes before he arrived. ABC reports that he cleared out the victim's mouth, and hooked her up to oxygen. He also performed CPR. Reid has reportedly been suspended from his EMT position for making an unauthorized stop.
David Perecman, the lawyer representing Echavarria's family, told the Post that he was "troubled" by the perceived delay in calling 911. He suspects that Reid called 911 himself, although the school has denied this.
In the aftermath of the choking incident, Echavarria's family members said they struggled to get information from the school.
"The principal, the dean, the security guards… They closed the door and said, 'Go to the hospital to find out,'" her uncle told NBC.
Echavarria, who was put on life support at the hospital, is reportedly brain dead as of yesterday afternoon. Her mother reportedly suffered multiple seizures when she saw her daughter in the hospital.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with Noelia and her family and school community," the Department of Education stated on Tuesday. "Based on the information, we believe the principal and faculty responded swiftly to the emergency, notifying 911 and the student's family immediately. We continue to monitor this situation."
Tagged
choking
DOE
school lunch
williamsburg
Emma Whitford
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Being reigning champions is weird for Knicks fans. We could get used to this.
Seeing high hopes dashed had become so routine, it was part of our identity. This year feels different.
By
Catalina Gonella
Published Oct 17, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. ET
Tompkins Square Park is getting a makeover. Some say it's too much.
Some regulars at the East Village park want to preserve its not-so-fancy offerings.
By
Willow Higgins
News
Tompkins Square Park is getting a makeover. Some say it's too much.
Some regulars at the East Village park want to preserve its not-so-fancy offerings.
By
Willow Higgins
Deer are all over New Jersey roads looking for sex, state officials warn
By
Rosemary Misdary
Man messaged 'I got straight poison' before giving NYC college students fentanyl, feds say
By
Samantha Max
Inside the plan to fix the nearly collapsed Pfizer Building, 1/64th of an inch at a time
By
David Brand
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .