You are in the presence of a hero people. That hero is me. I don’t give myself this tag lightly but rest assured it is thoroughly deserved.

On Saturday night an associate of mine entered the room gasping for air clutching at his throat. It seems that he had tried to eat an entire packet of chips in one mouthful and smoke a cigarette at the same time. A valuable lesson learnt. I immediately engaged the Heimlich Maneuver (or abdominal thrust) and after several thrusts saved his life.

Just to help you kids out there I thought I should teach you all how to do it so that one day you may also know the sweet satisfaction of having a fellow human being owe you his life.

Performing abdominal thrusts involves a rescuer/hero (me) standing behind a patient (Chipsy Joe Jackson) and using their hands to exert pressure on the bottom of the diaphragm. This compresses the lungs and exerts pressure on any object lodged in the trachea, hopefully expelling it. This amounts to an artificial cough.

Due to the forceful nature of the procedure, even when done correctly it can injure the person on whom it is performed. Bruising to the abdomen is highly likely and more serious injuries can occur, including fracture of the xiphoid process or ribs. But as we discussed on the night, better a cracked rib then be dead.

I am not sure on the etiquette but I look forward to my ‘hero reward’ soon.