Quick-thinking employee saves choking customer

It was mid-afternoon in the Libby McDonald’s. As the managers gathered for their meeting, a customer began choking on a piece of his McRib sandwich. Serena Pape, one of the management staff, realized the threat to the customer and responded. She quickly moved behind the customer and began the Heimlich maneuver. 

As Pape moved to assist the customer, one of the clerks phoned 911. Within moments, the food was dislodged and the customer was breathing normally again. Moments later, medical assistance arrived and evaluated the choking victim, who required no further assistance.

The man, who wished to remain anonymous, said the McDonald’s crew members were “well-trained and calm,” and expressed his gratitude for how they responded to the situation. 

“I gave the manager a thank you gift card, and I will return to eat there again,” the man said.

Pape, a 2007 graduate of Libby High School, learned how to perform the Heimlich maneuver while working with the Junior Ambulance Program. Pape said she participated in the program during her time in high school. She has worked at the McDonald’s in Libby for seven years.

Pape said she did not really think about the situation, she just reacted. “I just didn’t want to see someone die,” she said.

Jaimi Davis, also a manager at McDonald’s, praised Pape’s quick reaction. She said several people were shocked and confused at the time. Pape, on the other hand, responded decisively and moved quickly to save the man.

Choking deaths are reported as the fifth-most-common form of accidental death in the U.S. It is estimated that nearly 3,000 Americans die each year from accidental choking. A lack of air to the brain can result in death within two minutes. 

The Heimlich maneuver is a technique to force air through the windpipe and dislodge obstructions in the throat by compressing the sternum, when properly performed. 

Dr. Henry Heimlich first described the maneuver in a June 1974 article for Emergency Medicine.