When "Eok" Collapsed... Citizens Save Life with '2-Minute 30-Second Relay CPR'

Quick Response and Harmonious Teamwork Shine

A man who collapsed while dining at a restaurant was saved thanks to the quick cooperation and prompt response of citizens.

Photo by MBC News Screen Capture

Recently, MBC reported on the 7th that a man in Yeongwol who choked on food while eating at a restaurant was safely revived with the help of a nurse and neighbors who were in the same restaurant. The media released CCTV footage capturing the incident.

In the video, the man eating with a colleague suddenly screamed and collapsed onto the table. Seeing this, a restaurant employee quickly approached and attempted the Heimlich maneuver emergency treatment. Lee Chanyeong, who was dining in the adjacent room and heard the scream, also rushed out with a colleague. Lee, who works as a nurse at a nearby power plant, laid the man on the floor and skillfully began cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

The patient’s companions immediately called 119, and until the paramedics arrived, they followed instructions from the fire station control room.

When Lee became exhausted from performing CPR, another customer nearby immediately took over. The patient’s bluish complexion soon returned to normal.

Lee said, "Suddenly, his face turned cyanotic and his pupils rolled back. When I listened for breathing, there was none, so I started chest compressions. The person next to me helped a lot. I thought, thankfully, he’s going to be okay."

The time from the moment the man collapsed to the completion of CPR was only 2 minutes and 40 seconds. Thanks to the neighbors’ efforts, the man’s complexion gradually improved. It was reported that he fully regained consciousness during the process of being transported to the hospital after the paramedics arrived.

The man’s workplace colleague told the media, "It was a bit overwhelming to experience a situation I had only seen on the news. Still, the other people in the restaurant helped a lot. Everyday heroes are always around us."

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