An 11-year-old boy has been hailed a hero after rushing to help a four-year-old girl who was struck by a car, using emergency skills he had learned at school just one week earlier.

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Jon Wess-Pass, a fourth-grade pupil from Holly Springs, Mississippi, sprang into action after witnessing the frightening incident on October 22, WREG Memphis reports.

While most children his age might have struggled to know what to do in such a situation, Jon managed to call emergency services, comfort the injured girl and keep her awake while help was on its way.

His actions have since earned him recognition from local police, the city’s mayor and his entire school community.

The incident unfolded when the young girl was struck by a vehicle in Holly Springs, leaving Jon faced with an emergency that required an immediate response.

Rather than panicking, the youngster dialled 911 and began communicating with the emergency operator.

Audio from the call captured Jon confirming that the girl was still breathing before identifying himself to the dispatcher.

“Is she breathing?” the operator asked, to which Jon responded: “She’s breathing!”

When asked for his name, he replied: “My name’s Jon Wess.”

Despite sounding composed during the call, Jon later admitted that he had been frightened by what was happening.

However, he remembered the emergency lessons he had been taught at school just days earlier and put them into practice.

“If I didn’t know what to do, something might happen bad, but I knew what to do. I knew what the number was,” he explained. The 11-year-old then described how he removed his jacket and placed it on the ground so the injured girl could lie down.

He also positioned his lunchbox behind her head to provide support.

But when the youngster noticed that the girl was beginning to drift off, he became concerned and repeatedly encouraged her to remain awake.

The youngster recalled: “I got off my jacket, I put the jacket on the ground. She laid down and then I put my lunchbox and I put it [behind] her head and she tried to go to sleep and I said, ‘Please don’t go to sleep.'”

It was an extraordinary response from someone who had only recently been taught how to handle an emergency.

Jon revealed that he had learned the relevant skills at school just one week before the collision, meaning the information was still fresh in his mind when he needed it most.

The injured girl was subsequently taken to hospital, where doctors assessed her condition.

Fortunately, despite the frightening circumstances, she escaped with cuts and bruises and suffered no broken bones.

She is expected to make a full recovery.

Her mother, Jada Jackson, described the outcome as a miracle and expressed her gratitude for the way Jon responded.

“I thank God for saving my child because it could have been a different situation and it is not,” she said. “He did what he was supposed to do. He did what I told him to do and I’m just grateful that he was on point and on cue.”

Jon’s actions also caught the attention of Holly Springs Police Chief Grant Glover, who believed the youngster deserved public recognition for his bravery.

The police chief arranged for Jon to be honoured during a special assembly at his school, attended by officers, teachers, loved ones and Mayor Charles Terry.

The event gave the community an opportunity to celebrate the 11-year-old’s quick thinking and acknowledge the difference he had made during a frightening situation.

Chief Glover admitted that discussing Jon’s actions had been an emotional experience.

“We were talking about Jon and those tears came in his eyes and, but, for today’s it’s Jon’s day in Holly Springs, Mississippi,” he said.

The assembly also provided an opportunity for Jon’s classmates to recognise what he had done.

According to Glover, the youngster received an enthusiastic reception, with pupils applauding and embracing him.

“He’s a role model for all the kids in this city, the kids of this school. So I mean, they were hugging, they were clapping. It was, it was marvelous,” the police chief explained.

Beyond the recognition, Jon’s story highlights the importance of teaching children how to respond when someone needs urgent assistance.

Featured image credit: Facebook/WREG News Channel 3 (screenshots)