Student Saves Local Man From Choking Incident – By Anna Yoakum
A customer at A Aki Sushi Restaurant was enjoying dinner with his family when he began choking. We spoke with the Timber Creek Sports Medicine student who helped to save his life.
A father was dining with his family when he began to choke at local sushi restaurant A Aki. Concerned Timber Creek sophomore, Maria Mencos’ assistance saved the man’s life.
“I was at work organizing all the tables. Then I heard someone screaming,” Mencos recalled, “I was like, ‘um what’s happening?’”
Mencos remembered approaching the table and seeing the man’s face as he was leaned up against the wall unable to breathe. “There was water in his nose and he was crying and trying to drink water.”
That’s when Mencos stepped into action, asking the man if he was okay and if he needed assistance. “He said, ‘yes, yes yes,’ and his daughter was like ‘yes, please!’’”
Although she admitted to being startled by the sudden occurrence at first, Mencos proceeded to apply the first aid she’d mastered through practice to the dire situation she’d been faced with, using the five-and-five approach in order to try and get the stuck food out of the man’s throat.
“I bent him over my hand and began giving him the five back blows,” said Mencos. “He was trying to drink water and I said ‘No, don’t drink water,’ and began giving him the five back blows again. Then he threw up the food and drank water.”
All thanks to the aid of Mencos, the man’s life was saved after she’d so courageously took such swift action.
The man is now recovered and doing well. All in all, Mencos said that she was glad she had to opportunity to put her skills in the medical field to use.
“I felt good. I like to help people. That’s what I want to do when I get older,” gushed Mencos.
Mencos hopes attend the University of Central Florida to study medicine.