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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Valley&State Backpage O&E Sports Archives Classifieds Faith&Beliefs Obituaries Revels August 18, 2004 Woman saved from choking By Bill Choy Ashland Daily Tidings An emergency training class taken nearly 20 years ago came in handy for Steven Burgess on Tuesday afternoon. As he enjoyed lunch on the deck of the Breadboard Restaurant shortly after noon with his wife Vera, he noticed an elderly woman choking on her sandwich at a nearby table and unable to breathe. Her husband tried to give her the Heimlich maneuver, but was not able to remove the lodged piece of food. "I jumped up and told my wife that there was trouble and to get a manager," said Burgess, a 46-year-old Ashland resident. He ran to the nearby table and started to do the Heimlich maneuver on the woman. "She was in terrible shape," Burgess said. "Her eyes were bulging out and she was getting kind of pale. I just performed the Heimlich on her several times. I just didn't stop because I knew she was in trouble. All I knew was I had to help this lady." After several attempts, nothing was working and Burgess started to become concerned the woman was in grave danger. Fortunately, after more than a minute of Burgess' efforts, the woman coughed up the piece of food. "She took a deep breath and she filled up with air like a balloon," he said. "It made me feel real good to see she was all right." An ambulance was called, but was canceled. The woman, who is from Grants Pass, was shaken up, but unhurt. "He rose to the occasion and I was really proud of him," Vera Burgess said. Burgess took an EMT class when he was 17 as part of training he took for the Army. He said what he learned about performing the Heimlich maneuver came rushing back on Tuesday. "It just spun into my mind and came back to me," he said. Steven Foster, the owner of Breadboard, had nothing but praise for Burgess and those who lent assistance. Foster was first alerted by bus boy Adam Hedrick that the woman was choking. As Hedrick called 911, Foster rushed out and saw Burgess performing the Heimlich maneuver. Another customer who knew the maneuver came out and was ready to help, he said. When it was over, another group of customers stayed with the choking victim and her husband, talking to them and trying to calm the couple down, Foster said. "It was a really nice response by everyone," he said. "She absolutely could not breathe and needed help. ... Everyone was very calm and caring and stepped in so quickly. I'm grateful we have such great customers." DailyTidings.com Home Page Valley&State | Backpage | O&E | Sports | Archives | Weather | Classifieds Columnists | Faith&Beliefs | Obituaries | Revels | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2004 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Click Here Site Search: .:Advertisements:. RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams