Kelly: Omaha woman rushed across restaurant to save choking diner

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.omaha.com/article/20120728/NEWS/707289911/1698#kelly-omaha-woman-rushed-across-restaurant-to-save-choking-diner

Published Saturday, July 28, 2012 at 1:00 am / Updated at 1:49 pm

By Michael Kelly

When a customer began choking and stood in distress at an Omaha restaurant this week, a woman leapt up from her book club meeting.

“She was like Wonder Woman,” said Craig Gamble, a manager at McFoster's Natural Kind Cafe, 38th and Farnam Streets. “Before I could get around the bar, that lady tore from the other side of the dining room practically in a single bound.”

She got behind the customer, whose windpipe apparently was blocked, to perform the Heimlich Maneuver. After a couple of slaps on the back, she reached around with one hand in a fist and the other joining it and pulled upward from above the navel with three strong thrusts.

That dislodged the obstruction, and the customer, an elderly woman, breathed again. Patrons applauded the quick responder, Janice Batt of Omaha.

FULL story at link.

[Gregorian]

1. I did something like that once. I forgot all about it until just now.

A person was obviously going to die right near me. It's amazing that people would just sit and stare at someone dying. I ran over and yelled at the people sitting next to her to do the Heimlich. I walked out feeling like I had saved a life.

[barbtries]

3. i think you did.

[lunatica]

13. I did the Hemlich Maneuver when I worked as a waitress a few decades ago.

You're right. Most people freeze and just watch. Or they try to make the choking person drink some water. I saved the woman's life. I was actually a little in shock for a while afterwards.

[Gregorian]

14. I'm amazed at how many stories there are here. But the one about the cow?

Haha. I'm not buying it.

[lastlib]

16. Scout's honor, it's true!

Cows really like apples.

[barbtries]

2. the way it's described

made me think of mrs doubtfire.

[freshwest]

4. Good story. I remember seeing this happen at a restaurant. The stranger walked behind the person.

Who was choking and the people at the table were yelling for someone to help. He used the Heimlich manuever, then he just left, saying nothing. The atmosphere was hushed and everyone was in awe at such a significant event.

I had the Heimlich performed on me after a fall that spasmed my solar plexus. Immediately I was unable to breathe, but I didn't realize what was happening. A woman walked up behind me and did if for me. After I recovered and went to find her, she'd faded into the crowd.

I had my life saved by a co-worker giving me CPR when my lungs were injured at work by chemicals. I had run out of oxygen and could not breathe. The doctors said I would not have made it to the ER without his intervention.

We have plenty of competent people around us like angels when we need them, gone when they're not. That's why we should treat each other with respect, you never know.

[mike_c]

5. I did this for my ex once, years ago....

She choked on a mouthful of steak, and I realized it was for real when she stopped gagging and just looked panicked. Took three pulls, as I recall, but I didn't really know how to do it beyond having seen it demonstrated years earlier on television.

[smirkymonkey]

6. All of you who have helped saved lives are angels.

I have taken a CPR class at work but have yet to be useful. Hopefully, I won't have the opportunity, but if I do I will know what to do.

[proud patriot]

7. Let's all of us updare our first aid certifications

in my job I get re certified every other year.

[lastlib]

8. I did the Heimlich maneuver on a cow once....

We had a bunch of green apples fall off a tree in the yard during a storm. We were tossing them over the fence to the cows, and they were chowing down on them. One cow got a piece of one stuck in its windpipe, started choking and wheezing, to the point of turning blue. I climbed thru the fence, got on my back under the cow, and started pushing up on her just below her breastbone. After a few thrusts, she coughed the piece up and started breathing again. Almost stepped on me walking away before I could get out from under her.

She never did thank me. I think she finally became hamburger.

[datasuspect]

12. cool post bro

[Beacool]

9. Great story.

I have a friend who is a nurse and she has saved several people over the years using CPR (in her off time, not at work).

I was certified some years ago and re-certified, but haven't taken the course in a while. Some things have changed, but the Heimlich remains the same. BTW, one can do it on oneself if needed by bending over a chair and thrusting upward (hopefully no one ever has to find out if it works).

[slackmaster]

10. I read the subject as "Obama woman rushed across restaurant to save choking diner"

How glorious that would have been!

[Patiod]

11. My friend's husband was lucky this way TWICE

Big strong young fellow, but he developed some weird choking thing that only happened when he ate steak. TWICE he needed the Heimlich when they were out at a steak restaurant, and my friend is not big enough to reach around him and do it properly.

Once they were in a restaurant, and she noticed two big guys, obviously out on a date with each other, sitting near them. When her husband started choking, the one fellow jumped up immediately and gave her husband the Heimlich - turned out he was a nurse! How lucky was that?

The other time it was a waiter, who was also big enough to do the Heimlich on him.

Needless to say, her husband isn't allowed to eat steak anymore.

[Liberal In Texas]

15. Wow....used to know her husband really well.

(Also knew Mike Kelly pretty well in my Omaha days.)

Great story!