A Walthamstow man has been praised for saving a stranger’s life after she began choking on a piece of steak at a busy London restaurant.
Marine engineer Calum Glen, 31, jumped into action while dining with his family when he noticed a woman at a nearby table in distress.
Mr Glen said: "The woman was clutching at her throat.
"She wasn’t coughing or speaking – she was choking.
"I stepped in to help – about a year earlier, I’d completed a first aid course through my work.
"One of the biggest lessons that stayed with me was that people often forget to start with back blows before moving on to abdominal thrusts – thanks to Mrs Doubtfire.
"I gave her five firm back blows using the heel of my hand between her shoulder blades.
"When the back blows didn’t dislodge the obstruction, I moved on to abdominal thrusts.
"Thankfully they worked – a piece of steak flew out of her mouth and she was finally able to breathe again.
"Everyone should have first aid training.
"I hope I never have to use those skills again, but you never know when someone’s life could depend on you knowing what to do."
READ MORE:
- The London bus routes affected by timetable changes this week
- The hidden passengers making life miserable on the London Underground
- Charing Cross and Waterloo East reopen after huge upgrade
Mr Glen’s quick response follows training he received through a workplace first aid course.
His story comes as first aid charity St John Ambulance warns that too many people are dying from choking because bystanders lack the knowledge or confidence to step in.
Around 300 people die in England each year due to choking incidents.
A recent poll found that only 42 per cent of people know how to help someone who is choking by using back blows and abdominal thrusts.
The survey of 2,000 UK adults, conducted by Censusuwide on behalf of St John Ambulance, also revealed that 19 per cent had never heard of an abdominal thrust, previously known as the Heimlich manoeuvre.
Almost a third of respondents did not realise that choking can become life-threatening within minutes without first aid intervention.
The charity has launched its Save a Life September campaign to address the gap in public knowledge.
The campaign aims to equip 500,000 people with essential life-saving skills through free demonstrations and online guidance.
Jordan Davison, community education partner at St John Ambulance, said: "Choking is often dismissed as a minor incident, but the consequences can be devastating.
"Tragically too many people die because those around them do not have the knowledge or confidence to intervene.
"This September, we’re urging people to take a few minutes to learn these essential first aid skills.
"Through St John Ambulance’s videos and public demonstrations, people can learn simple, life-saving skills that could help them save a loved one, friend, colleague or even a stranger.
"Our volunteers will be out in communities across the country, putting the power of first aid into more people’s hands."
The importance of first aid knowledge was highlighted in another recent incident in Totnes, Devon, where Leslie Sinoway began choking on a fish bone at a gastropub.
Ms Sinoway said: "I ordered the sea bass.
"We were all chatting when, all of a sudden, I felt something get caught in my throat and I started coughing.
"I got up and kept coughing, becoming more and more scared.
"Lucy noticed and got up.
"She asked me if I was OK and I gestured that I wasn’t.
"That’s when she started giving me firm back blows.
"A fish bone flew out.
"I genuinely thought I was going to die.
"It was horrible.
"If anyone would stay calm in a crisis, it would be Lucy."
Her friend, Lucy Rhoades, said it took her a moment to realise what was happening but then quickly delivered back blows, which successfully dislodged the bone.
Both stories underline the potentially life-saving impact of basic first aid training.
St John Ambulance's campaign is calling on the public to take just a few minutes to learn or refresh vital skills that could make all the difference in an emergency.
The charity will be running free demonstrations and sharing online resources throughout September as part of its nationwide effort to improve first aid knowledge and confidence.
Share