Henry Heimlich Uses His Maneuver To Save A Choking Woman

Henry Heimlich, 96, known for inventing the lifesaving Heimlich Maneuver in 1974, put his invention to good use on Monday, saving a woman’s life.

Henry Heimlich Uses The Heimlich To Save A Woman

Heimlich was reportedly eating a steak in the dining room of the Deupree House, a senior living community in Cincinnati, Ohio, when he saw the woman next to him start to choke.

“She had all the signs of it because, as I say, her lips were puffed out, and she obviously wasn’t breathing,” Heimlich recalled.

Heimlich said he stood up, spun the woman around and did the maneuver that made him famous.

He placed his arms around her waist, fists below the ribcage — just above the belly button and pressed three times. Resulting in Patty Gill Ris, 87, coughing up a piece of her meal.

“Oh gosh am I lucky that I sat there. And God put me right there at that table right next to Dr. Heimlich,” Ris said.

“Thank this wonderful man for saving my life,” she added.

Heimlich demonstrated his maneuver many times throughout his career as a chest surgeon, but never had to use it in a crisis until that day.

According to Heimlich’s educational institute, the maneuver has saved over 50,000 lives in the United States.

Perry Gaines, the maitre d’ of Deupree House’s dining hall, has used it twice so far this year.

Gaines heard a customer was choking on Monday, and ran out of the kitchen to help, but when he arrived, Heimlich already had things under control.

“I stopped what I was doing and waited to see if he needed any assistance,” Gaines joked. “Of course he didn’t.”