Federal customs agent Marvin Slocum knew his partner was in serious trouble. 

He couldn't breathe and frantically clawed at his throat and head. 

When attempts at the Heimlich maneuver failed, Slocum realized he to act fast.

Slocum raced to a nearby Chicago fire station, where paramedics accustomed to working on humans were faced with a daunting challenge: Resuscitating a federal agent's drug-sniffing dog.

Slocum, works at O'Hare International Airport with Champ, a yellow Labrador mix.

At the airport's Rescue Station 3, paramedics raced to open Champ's throat and remove the blockage that was choking him to death: a handful of cicadas.

Today two of those paramedics, Michael Nowacky and Julie Staats, received awards for their hard work.

"We've never had that situation," said Nowacky, "Death would have been imminent."

The incident began on June 15th, around 2:30 p.m. Champ was resting in Slocum's vehicle, which was parked in the shade with the doors open.

Cicadas were present at the location, according to  Slocum.  Champ, who is 8 years old, had never come into contact with cicadas, which remain underground for 17 years before emerging to mate and lay eggs.

At one point, Slocum noticed that Champ was extremely uncomfortable, pawing at his snout.  Slocum knew something was wrong. 

"You get familiar with certain body signs," said Slocum.

He soon realized that Champ was choking.

"I didn't know they were cicadas," he said.

Picking up the dog and turning him upside down, Slocum tried an improvised version of the Heimlich Maneuver to clear the dog's airway.  When that  didn't work, he realized that Champ was in serious danger. 

At one of O'Hare's fire stations, paramedics Michael Nowacky and Julie Staatz were on duty.

They quickly realized the dog's airway was blocked and inserted a tube that both opens the airway, said Nowacky. The paramedics then used forceps to remove 3-4 cicadas from the dog's throat.

"We opened the airway and the dog did the rest," said Nowacky. 

Neither of the paramedics, who have been partners for 18 years,  had ever worked on a non-human patient before.

It was emotional for everyone in the firehouse, said Nowacky.

"There were some teary-eyed moments," he said.  

Medically, though, the patient's species wasn't an issue.

"He has an airway.  He has a trachea.  With experience and training you just do it automatically," said Nowacky.  Both he and Staatz were awarded Certificates of Recognition.

Champ, a gregarious dog with perpetual grin was taken to Niles Animal Hospital for observation.  He is now back at work.