A dramatic rescue unfolded in a Californian convenience store when a quick-thinking customer stepped in to save a woman's life as she choked on her food.
The incident, captured on the store's CCTV, occurred at a 7-Eleven in Huntington Beach. The footage shows the woman, identified only as Annette, suddenly clutching her throat and collapsing to the floor, unable to breathe.
Seeing her distress, another customer, a man named Vince, immediately rushed to her aid. Without hesitation, he performed the Heimlich manoeuvre, dislodging the piece of food that was blocking her airway.
Annette, who was buying a hot dog and a Slurpee, can be seen in the video gasping for air and slumping against a fridge before Vince's intervention. After several forceful thrusts, the obstruction was cleared and she was able to breathe again.
In an emotional reunion arranged by a local news station, Annette met her rescuer to thank him. "I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you," she told him, fighting back tears.
Vince, a modest hero, downplayed his actions. "I just saw someone that needed help, and I helped," he stated. "It was just a reaction."
The store clerk, who was present during the harrowing event, praised Vince's composure and swift action, confirming that his quick thinking undoubtedly saved Annette's life.
