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A hospital worker has thanked her quick-thinking colleague for saving her life after she choked on a bacon sandwich.
What started as an ordinary morning coffee break for Marta Berska at Margate's QEQM hospital on Wednesday turned into a life-threatening emergency.
Marta, a ward manager’s assistant, was tucking into a bacon sandwich in the staff room at Bishopstone ward when the first bite got lodged in her throat.
She found herself choking and unable to breathe.
Luckily clinical trauma co-ordinator Stephen Rickman was on hand and performed the Heimlich manoeuvre, clearing her airway and saving her life.
Marta said: “I don’t know what happened but the first bite I took just got stuck in my throat.
“I panicked, and rushed out onto the ward, sounding like an elephant who has eaten chilli sauce.
“Stephen was there, he grabbed me and after hitting me on the back a few times did the Heimlich manoeuvre and it came out.
“It was very frightening, but he was just there and did it without any fuss or bother.”
She bought Stephen a bottle of Champagne as a thank you, but her modest colleague insists he was just doing his job.
He said: “I was taught the Heimlich manoeuvre as part of resuscitation training so I knew what to do, I’ve just never done it before.
“But it was exactly like doing it on the mannequin in training.
“I was just there at the right time and I didn’t really think about it, I just did what we were taught to do.”
Marta added: “Stephen was so professional about the whole thing but if I had been in the office I could have died, because no one would have heard me.
“I’m so thankful he was there when I needed him.”
