‘Choking on Noodles, Dizzy Moment’ Saved Thanks to Firefighter

Fire Sergeant Jeong Ye-jin and Fire Corporal Kim Seong-gyeom Rescue Using Heimlich Maneuver

Jeong Ye-jin, Fire Sergeant at Tongyeong Fire Station (left), Kim Seong-gyeom, Fire Corporal at Geoje Fire Station.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Seryeong] “Slurp, slurp... Gak...!” An elderly man in his 80s, who was enjoying noodles at the next table, suddenly started coughing.

On the 9th, after finishing their full-day shift, a couple of firefighters in their 30s were having lunch at a restaurant in Gohyeon-dong, Geoje City, Gyeongnam, when they noticed the elderly man struggling.

The same-age couple, Fire Sergeant Jeong Ye-jin and Fire Corporal Kim Seong-gyeom, immediately put down their chopsticks and rushed to the grandfather.

The son, who had brought his father alone because he wanted to eat kongguksu (cold soybean noodle soup), never expected to see him suddenly turn pale and collapse right before his eyes, and could only fret helplessly.

The firefighters quickly assessed the situation and appeared to firmly embrace the grandfather from behind.

In less than a minute, the elderly man expelled the food blocking his throat and breathed again, and the son, who had felt as if he was about to stop breathing too, sighed in relief.

The method the two firefighters used to rescue the grandfather was the Heimlich maneuver.

This emergency procedure involves forcefully pushing upward with a fist or similar between the xiphoid process and the navel from behind the patient when the airway is obstructed by a foreign object, to expel the blockage.

The firefighters checked the grandfather’s breathing and consciousness, handed him over to 119 emergency services, and then quietly left the scene.

What could have turned a peaceful Saturday lunchtime into a nightmare was averted thanks to the firefighters’ quick action, and the grandfather safely discharged from the hospital after recuperating on the 18th.

Actual compliment post on Tongyeong Fire Station website bulletin board.
[Image source=Gyeongnam Fire Headquarters]

The son shared the story of that day on the ‘Let’s Praise’ board on the Tongyeong Fire Station website.

He wrote, “What would have happened to my father if Firefighter Jeong Ye-jin and her husband hadn’t been there?” and added, “Knowing firefighters are close to citizens makes me feel safe living my daily life.”

Fire Sergeant Jeong said, “I only thought about saving the grandfather; any firefighter would have acted the same,” and added, “I will always serve with the mission of a firefighter to ensure the safety of the residents.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.