Yesterday, January 1st, we were sitting around after dinner with family and friends after our big holiday meal and people started talking about things that they had done on the past years of January 1st. My wife then tells the group that nothing beats what John (not my real name) did on January 1st about 20 years ago. Then she urges me to tell the story, which most, or at least some of them had already heard.
We had just arrived into San Francisco from D.C. and along with my First Officer (F/O), we were walking through the airport on our way to the Dispatchers office. As we were walking, we passed by a Chili’s Restaurant when some people were gathered around a woman who was choking. Someone yelled to call Security and someone yelled if there was a doctor in the house. I had been trained in the Heimlich Maneuver, so I calmly walked over and told the people around her that I could maybe help. I turned her back towards me, locked my arms under her rib cage with my fist in the pit at the bottom of the rib cage and gave one mighty, very quick pull.
The piece of chicken that had stuck in her throat didn’t exactly fly out of her mouth, but more like fell out and she then took a quick sip of water. The airport police arrived just a few moments later and wanted to transport her to the hospital, but she refused. She looked at me, put her arms around me and gave me a hug. She said that she would kiss me, but she couldn’t reach my cheek. I am 6’4” and she was about 5’3”or 5’4” maybe.
Everyone else applauded.
Just to set the record straight, it was in 2007.
We had just arrived into San Francisco from D.C. and along with my First Officer (F/O), we were walking through the airport on our way to the Dispatchers office. As we were walking, we passed by a Chili’s Restaurant when some people were gathered around a woman who was choking. Someone yelled to call Security and someone yelled if there was a doctor in the house. I had been trained in the Heimlich Maneuver, so I calmly walked over and told the people around her that I could maybe help. I turned her back towards me, locked my arms under her rib cage with my fist in the pit at the bottom of the rib cage and gave one mighty, very quick pull.
The piece of chicken that had stuck in her throat didn’t exactly fly out of her mouth, but more like fell out and she then took a quick sip of water. The airport police arrived just a few moments later and wanted to transport her to the hospital, but she refused. She looked at me, put her arms around me and gave me a hug. She said that she would kiss me, but she couldn’t reach my cheek. I am 6’4” and she was about 5’3”or 5’4” maybe.
Everyone else applauded.
Just to set the record straight, it was in 2007.
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