Deputy Saves Woman's Life During IHOP Stop

A Pinellas County deputy on a Tuesday morning meal break became a lifesaver when he stepped in to save a choking woman.

The incident unfolded just before 1 a.m. at the 30200 U.S. 19 N. IHOP restaurant in Clearwater. According to the sheriff’s office, Deputy David Brenn, 27, was finishing up his meal along with another deputy when he heard a woman wheezing at the table next to them.

The woman, the sheriff’s office said in an email, “was in obvious distress and was actively attempting to dislodge something from her throat.”

Wasting no time, Brenn, a four-year veteran with the agency, asked the woman if she was choking. When she nodded yes, Brenn radioed for paramedic support and asked the woman if he could attempt the Heimlich maneuver.

When the woman nodded in the affirmative, Brenn began the maneuver. On the third thrust, a piece of steak dislodged from the woman’s throat, enabling her to breath once more.

Paramedics came and checked out Brianna Torres, 23, and gave her an all clear.

Brenn’s actions, the sheriff’s office said, likely saved the Shirley, N.Y., resident’s life.

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