Shopkeeper saves elderly man who choked on a simit in Gaziantep using the 'Heimlich maneuver'
In the Şehitkamil district of Gaziantep, a shopkeeper who noticed that an elderly man who came to his electronics repair shop was struggling to breathe after a piece of simit got stuck in his windpipe, saved the man's life using the 'Heimlich maneuver'.
12punto
Noticing that the elderly man was unable to breathe while trying to explain his situation to those around him with his hands, shopkeeper Faruk Direk immediately intervened. After Direk performed the Heimlich maneuver, the piece of simit blocking the elderly man's windpipe was dislodged.
The elderly man was able to breathe again and was saved thanks to the maneuver. The moments were captured second by second on the shop's security cameras.
"I REMOVED THE SIMIT ON THE SECOND ATTEMPT"
Shopkeeper Direk said, "Yesterday, an elderly gentleman came inside, and there was something strange about his voice. We thought he had a throat issue due to his age. He asked our friend for water, and when he gave it to him, we noticed his voice was still the same. When I looked again, our friend was hitting him on the back. When I went outside and looked, he had a simit in his hand. When he couldn't speak and asked us to hit his back again, I suspected a piece of simit was stuck in his throat. Afterward, I applied the first aid procedure known as the Heimlich maneuver, and I realized I had dislodged the simit on the second attempt. He then relaxed and spat the entire piece of simit out of his mouth. We see these types of incidents often with children. It was always on my mind from there. Such a situation can happen to any of us. Therefore, I had thought it might happen to me too, but it's a good feeling. He thanked us after he was saved. We could have reached him earlier, but we didn't realize it because we didn't understand what was happening. However, whoever this happens to, they must perform this first aid intervention first and foremost. I tried it and saw it for myself. At the very least, it made us very happy that the gentleman regained his health," he said.