THOUSAND OAKS : Brother Shrugs Off Praise for Saving Sister, 8

Wearing baggy pants that straddled the border between really short trousers and really long shorts, 15-year-old Geordan Allen looks more like the skateboarder he is than the hero public safety officials keep saying he is.

But Geordan has the aw-it-was-nothing shrug down pat, and had plenty of chances to display it Tuesday as he was honored for saving his 8-year-old sister from choking in their Thousand Oaks home earlier this month.

“Heroism means doing the right thing in spite of your fears,” said John Everlove, a paramedic who works with the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department. Everlove, who taught Geordan cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the Heimlich maneuver in November, 1993, organized the award ceremony.

Geordan collected certificates, T-shirts and a baseball cap from county fire and Sheriff’s Department officials and from Careline Ambulance. He also received--from the Westec security company--a $500 savings bond and a Lucite medallion--the Westec Youth Heroism Award.

He slipped the award off his neck as soon as it was polite, and the only response he offered to the accolades was a modest “thanks,” along with plenty of shrugs.

In an interview, however, he did allow that he had to overcome plenty of fear as he tried repeatedly to dislodge an orange-flavored Vitamin C tablet from his sister Genna’s throat. The Heimlich maneuver finally succeeded after a glass of water and raps to the back failed.

“Afterwards, I was, like, totally shaking,” Geordan said.

Geordan, who said he may have initiated his sister’s choking by throwing a pillow at her while she was sucking on the vitamin, also said he believes first aid training is a good idea for everyone.

For more information on the Medic First Aid Program that Geordan took, call First Care of Thousand Oaks at (805) 492-9911.