Henry Heimlich, MD, the creator of the world-famous Heimlich maneuver, just saved a fellow resident at his retirement home from choking. He swiftly performed the maneuver on an 87-year-old woman who was choking on a piece of hamburger.
The Cincinnati Enquirer reports that the dining room's maître d’ was preparing to save her himself, as is the usual protocol. "But," he told the paper, "it is Dr. Heimlich." Agreed — the man probably knows what he's doing.
The 96-year-old thoracic surgeon developed the maneuver in 1974, but according to the BBC, he's only performed it twice, including this most recent time. The first time was in 2003, as a spry 80-year-old.
His son, Phil Heimlich, expressed surprise when speaking to the Enquirer. "Just the fact that a 96-year-old man could perform that is impressive," he said. Dr. Heimlich is said to be pretty physically active for a man his age.
The woman he saved, Patty Ris, thanked him in a note, which read: "God put me in this seat next to you."
For more information about the Heimlich maneuver, find a training course near you.
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