A woman that collapsed after choking on her food in a Malaga restaurant in Ciudad Jardín was saved by an off-duty policeman who came to her aid
The middle-aged woman was eating at a restaurant in the city when she started to choke on her food. Panic ensued at the establishment as she collapsed onto the floor- unable to breathe.
The National Police said in a statement that the officer (from the Local Provincial Station) quickly came to the woman’s aid and applied the famous Heimlich maneuver.
The events took place on November 18, on the terrace of a restaurant in the Ciudad Jardín neighbourhood of Málaga when an off-duty officer was having dinner with a relative inside the establishment and the commotion outside caught his attention.
A friend of the woman was desperately screaming for help on the terrace of the restaurant as the victim had collapsed choking and was unable to breathe. The officer quickly began to practice the *Heimlich maneuver, a first aid procedure that consists of performing abdominal compressions in order to unobstruct a respiratory blockage.
On this occasion, the problem was a piece of food had become lodged- blocking her airways. Finally, the good samaritan offered to call an ambulance. However, the victim herself declined the offer as she was in apparent good health.
How to apply the Heimlich maneuver
Bend the person over at the waist to face the ground.
Strike five separate times between the person’s shoulder blades with the heel of your hand.
Give five abdominal thrusts.
If back blows don’t remove the stuck object, give five abdominal thrusts, also known as the Heimlich maneuver.
