How I Used the Heimlich Maneuver to Save a Life

We have all been prepared for emergencies at some point in our lives, but most of us don't expect to ever have to use any of this preparation in a real-life emergency. When I was in high school I took a course that taught basic life-savings skills such as CPR and the Heimlich maneuver, in addition to survivor training and self defense. I even received a certificate from the American Red Cross indicating I had successfully completed training in CPR. Little did I know ten years later I would be trying to save a stranger's life using the techniques I had learned a decade earlier.

A few days before Christmas 2004 my wife and I went to visit her family just outside Birmingham, Alabama. On the last night of our visit we decided to grab a bite to eat at a local diner in the small town where they lived. This was the kind of place where everyone knew each other's names, and my wife, daughter and I were outsiders. We found a table in the corner and ordered up the daily special - hamburger steak and gravy with mashed potatoes and green beans. A larger party had gathered a few tables next to us as the diner was filling with locals.

When we had polished off the last bite of dinner we rose to pay our check and exit the diner. I overheard someone at the table across from us ask, "Are you okay?" About that time I heard a sound I will never forget. A large man at the table made a gasping sound and struggled unsuccessfully to get to his feet. A lady at the table began hysterically running around the table screaming, "He's choking! He's choking!" A mob swarmed his table, but no one did anything. For about 15 seconds everyone just sort of stood there in shock as this poor guy flailed his arms wildly. I waded through the sea of people surrounding him and told the manager to call 911. A guy was hovering over the stricken man slapping him on the back. I told him to stop as that could make things worse. At this point the man was a bright shade of red and I knew we didn't have much time left. If I had to guess he was well over 400lbs, making the traditional Heimlich maneuver challenging. Fortunately, I am about 6'3" with long arms so I was able to get around his midsection to prepare for the Heimlich. With my right hand in a closed fist, and my left hand providing support I made a swift, upwards thrust just above the man's navel. Nothing. I repeated this step a couple times with no luck. I could tell by the man's posture that he was going to be unconscious soon.

My thoughts started to turn to how I would take him to the floor safely and then continue thrusts until help arrived. I made one last attempt and the man coughed and spat out a piece of hamburger steak. He immediately inhaled deeply like someone coming out of the water for oxygen after a long dive. People cheered, and he turned around and said in a raspy voice, "That got it! Thank you so much! That got it!" I shook the man's hand and told him he still ought to be checked out when help arrived. He insisted he felt fine, but I knew the paramedics would want to look him over anyway. My wife had taken my daughter outside the diner because of the commotion, so I gathered myself and made my way to the register to pay for our meal. We waited in the parking lot a short time, but with no sirens in the distance we decided to leave. We never passed an ambulance en route to the call, and I don't know if one ever made it. I have to believe that guy wouldn't be here had we not decided to stop there for dinner.