The moment a Sydney cafe owner saved a customer from choking has been caught on CCTV.
Julian Brown was enjoying a quiet breakfast last week at Heirloom in Mosman, on Sydney’s lower north shore, when he began choking on a piece of toast.
Cafe owner Marcel Ghabbar realised Brown was choking and jumped into action, performing the Heimlich manoeuvre and dislodging the piece of toast.
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“I owe him my life…If I was on my own, goodnight Irene,” Brown told 9News.
Brown is already a regular at the cafe, but says now he’s even more grateful for the “excellent” customer service.
“It’s what comes with the coffee… comradery, mateship – and hey, getting your life saved isn’t a bad bonus as well.”
Ghabbar said he “would have done it for anyone”.
“It does feel good to know you can look after your friends,” he said.
The Red Cross said the incident is a reminder for people to get first aid training.
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“We want people to have not only the skills to help but also the confidence,” Wendy Greenhalf from the Australian Red Cross said.
The Red Cross doesn’t recommend the Heimlich manoeuvre but instead says to pat the person choking firmly on the back between the shoulder blades.
If that’s unsuccessful, perform chest thrusts.
If someone is choking, you should always call triple zero, the Red Cross also said.
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