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(wtvr) – MONTPELIER, Va. — An off-duty Hanover County Sheriff’s deputy saved an army veteran’s life using the Heimlich maneuver. Both the deputy and the man he saved are calling on more people to learn the proper techniques.
On April 3rd, veteran Hanover County Deputy Chris Kothe was enjoying a post-diner treat of gelato at his favorite Italian restaurant on Route 33 when he heard a commotion near the front of the restaurant.
Army veteran Phillip Wells and his wife Helen were eating their supper, when suddenly Mr. Wells was in need of help.
“I ordered pizza,” Wells said. “Evidently I breathed in, and it took one of those real thin Italian sausages, you can read through them they’re so thin. It went into my throat and blocked my airway.”
“He was turning blue,” said Kothe. “Passed off my cone to the waitress and said, ‘Let me get involved in this.'”
Helen and other patrons of the restaurant tried to help Wells but were unsuccessful. That’s when deputy Kothe stepped in to deploy a move he has been training on for years but had never used in his 23 years in law enforcement: the Heimlich maneuver.
“I knew either it was going to dislodge [the food] or his guts were going to come out of his mouth,” said deputy Kothe with a smile.
“He’s a strong man,” Wells said with a chuckle.
