"I'm a father too"... Child who stopped breathing after swallowing candy at restaurant saved by diner at neighboring table using Heimlich maneuver [Warm News] [Video]

[Financial News] A diner at a neighboring table rescued a young child who choked on candy at a restaurant in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, by performing the Heimlich maneuver.
According to KBS on the 18th, Hwang Seung-wook, a section leader at POSCO Future M's Refractories Plant 2, was dining with acquaintances at a restaurant in Songdo-dong, Nam-gu, Pohang, at around 9 p.m. on the 16th when he noticed commotion and screams coming from a table behind him.
A child had swallowed a piece of candy that became lodged in the throat. The child could not breathe and was turning blue.
Hwang immediately ran to the child, recognized that the airway was blocked, and performed the Heimlich maneuver from behind by wrapping both arms around the area between the upper abdomen and the navel and thrusting inward and upward.
After several abdominal thrusts, the candy lodged in the child's throat was dislodged, and the child regained normal breathing.
Hwang is responsible for managing workplace safety for employees at his company. He has reportedly completed regular in-house training in first aid, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and the Heimlich maneuver.
He has also continued making donations and participating in volunteer activities for vulnerable groups through the Cheongnim-dong Administrative Welfare Center in Pohang, together with factory employees, for several years.
Hwang recalled the incident, saying, "Because the child was crying, and I'm a father too, I think all I could think about was doing something—anything—to save the child."
He continued, "I had often seen situations like this in the media and thought, 'If I ever encounter something like that, I shouldn't hesitate.' I thought I would panic when it actually happened, but my body responded as it had been trained to."
He added, "I'm so relieved that the child recovered safely, and I was once again reminded of the importance of first-aid training in everyday life to prepare for emergencies that can happen to anyone."


[email protected] Seong Min-seo Reporter