WARWICK, R.I. (WPRI) – A choking baby at a sub shop survived after a good Samaritan stepped up to help Tuesday evening before emergency personnel could get to the scene.
West Warwick Fire Captain Scott Perkins said his crews were dispatched to the Subway on Providence Street in Warwick for a choking child. Once they got arrived, the job was already done.
Officials say a good Samaritan, who was a paramedic, stepped in and cleared the child’s airway.
“That just shows that early intervention by someone who’s been trained in these procedures can make a huge difference,” said Perkins. “It obviously paid off.”
The baby was taken to Kent County Hospital following the incident. Employees of the store say the man who helped left on his motorcycle before medical professionals arrived.
Brian Boyer, of Cranston, had a similar experience with his wife at the Warwick Mall.
“The parents didn’t know what to do,” said Boyer. “[My wife] grabbed the baby and she did the Heimlich maneuver on the baby and a big chunk of food came out of the baby’s throat.”
Boyer says because of this experience, he decided to get trained in choking rescue techniques, so he can save someone when one of these life-threatening scenarios happens.