When the moment came to perform the Heimlich technique, Natalie May did not hesitate. According to WXMI, the teenager, an East Kentwood High School senior, works as a waitress at Brann’s Steakhouse and Grille in Grand Rapids.
She was clearing a table at a steakhouse last week when she heard a woman screaming that her husband was choking. She jumped right into it.
READ ALSO: 9-year-old hero saves friend from choking at school: ‘I just did my thing’
May had just earned her CPR certification after learning the Heimlich technique on a mannequin as part of her high school health course.
May, however, told WXMI, “It’s different than in person, actually, because the mannequin is like, half of a body. So, like, you don’t really get the whole feeling or sensation of a real person.”
“It’s just very emotional, I guess… just shocking to me that I was able to do that for someone, especially someone 10 times bigger than me,” May later added.
Kristina Thrash, her coworker, told the outlet that the victim was so big that his wife couldn’t put her arms around him to perform the Heimlich maneuver. Thrash also spoke with the man who believes May’s therapy saved his life.
Meanwhile, Brann’s Steakhouse and Grille praised May for her bravery by posting a picture of her with the person she saved, Joe, on Facebook.
The post read, “Talk about perfect timing – Natalie had class this week which taught the Heimlich Maneuver. She was able to help Joe (on the right). He was extremely thankful and didn’t mind taking a quick picture. Thank you to Natalie for going above and beyond to help what he called “saving his life”!
Kentwood Public Schools also mentioned May in a social media post. They wrote, “Her training and quick thinking are credited with saving the man’s life,” applauding her competence.
READ ALSO: Heroic act by Kansas City Chiefs star saves child who fell out of the stands
