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Dentist saves man from choking at restaurant
A Florida dentist stepped in to perform the Heimlich maneuver to save a man from choking at a Port Orange restaurant. Patrick Cole was at First Watch with his wife when a bite of food got stuck in his throat. After a few seconds of trying to clear it on his own, he stood up, looking for help.
PORT ORANGE, Fla. - A Port Orange dentist stepped in to perform the Heimlich maneuver to save a man from choking at a restaurant.
Patrick Cole was at First Watch with his wife when a bite of food got stuck in his throat. After a few seconds of trying to clear it on his own, he stood up and looked for help.
Dr. Sean Bannan was sitting a few tables away when he noticed Cole was distressed.
"As soon as he [put his hands to his throat]... it was like a knee-jerk reflex. I was on my feet."
After a few repetitions, Bannan cleared the food, allowing Cole to breathe freely. "It was a joyous, joyous noise when I heard him breathe [air] back into his lungs," he said. Cole took a few minutes to decompress but returned from the incident okay.
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"How do you thank someone that just helped save your life?" he asked with tears in his eyes on Monday. "You owe him… because he helped you breathe another day."
Dr. Bannan said the incident serves as a reminder to not take life for granted.
"Tomorrow isn't promised," Bannan said. "Let's be kind. Let's show gratitude and have more love in our hearts."
He also urges people to learn the Heimlich maneuver and CPR.