Choking Man Saved by Yorkville Student

Photo courtesy of the Indian Valley Vocational Center Facebook page

YORKVILLE, IL — Eric Biegalski wants to become a fireman or paramedic and he recently got some experience in performing those jobs.

While out to dinner Oct. 22, Biegalski, a 17-year-old senior at Yorkville High School saved a man’s life by performing the heimlich maneuver on him while he was choking.

In an interview WSPY, Biegalski told of how he came to save the man’s life.

“When it all happened, I was eating and he started tapping my shoulder so I stood up and turned around and I looked at him and I instantly realized he was choking cause his hands were around his neck and his face was all red,” Biegalski told the radio station.

Biegalski sprang into action and spun the man around and performed the maneuver. After, the man and Biegalski talked to each other for a bit and then sat back down.

“After he sat back down and I sat back down then I started to realize what actually happened. Time paused. I didn’t even have time to react. I just stood up and I did what I had to do,” Biegalski said in a radio interview.

Biegalski is an Eagle Scout and an Indian Valley Vocational Center Fire Science student. Biegalski said he learned his life-saving skills through scouting.

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