San Jose teacher saved by his 11-year-old student

San Jose teacher saved by his 11-year-old student

Wood shop teacher Fred Sotcher felt a powerful chill and started to tremble, but he threw on a heavier shirt and assured his sixth-graders he was fine. Daniel Rivas didn't believe it.

The 11-year-old boy rushed to a phone and called the front office to report his teacher needed help.

At first, Daniel's concerns weren't taken seriously, but he refused to budge until the school nurse came to check on his teacher. Within minutes, an ambulance was rushing Sotcher to a hospital where he spent four days in intensive care as doctors treated a major infection that had spread throughout his body.

Daniel's questioning authority saved his life, Sotcher figures. The retired electronics business owner heads back to John Montgomery Elementary School in San Jose on Wednesday to volunteer as a shop teacher after a three-week recovery.

``I was very impressed with the fact that he refused to listen to me and he refused to listen to the office,'' Sotcher said of Daniel. ``For a sixth-grader, the office represents authority. And he had the courage to challenge that authority.''

Source

By Elise Banducci
Mercury News
Sun, Dec. 01, 2002