Malaga police officers save choking elderly man's life on their way to receive award

Two Local Police officers from Malaga were on their way to receive an award at the Churriana district fair, when they saved 83-year-old Father Manuel from choking to death last Sunday.

The incident happened at about 9.40pm. The two police workers were at the municipal event to receive an award for their collaboration in local celebrations.

There were about 500 people in the tent. Among them were approximately 40 residents of the El Buen Samaritano nursing home, managed by the Cáritas foundation.

While the officers waited for the award ceremony, they noticed a commotion forming around one of the tables. The caregivers in charge of the elderly residents were asking for help.

The two men rushed to the scene and saw an elderly man who was choking to the point where he was losing consciousness. The man was beloved parish priest Father Manuel.

The police immediately called for an ambulance and performed the Heimlich manoeuvre on the elderly man.

After performing abdominal thrusts for two minutes, the officers managed to dislodge a piece of ham that was obstructing the man's airway. Father Manuel slowly started to recover, assisted by the paramedics who arrived at the scene.

He did not require hospitalisation, thanks to the swift police actions.

"They truly saved his life. He would have died in a few seconds because he was choking," director of the nursing home Patricio Fuentes said.

"He's in pain now from the choking and the aggressive manoeuvre. A doctor is examining him to determine what caused the dysphagia. He remembers the ordeal and is very grateful to the police officers," Fuentes added.

Fuentes said that the centre's caretakers know how to perform the Heimlich manoeuvre and reiterated that "everyone should learn" it. Father Manuel's state and level of mobility, however, complicated their attempts. The police's presence was key at that moment.

A similar incident occurred in Asturias this past weekend, when 65-year-old María Ángeles 'Geli' Díaz choked to death on a piece of sirloin steak at her nine-year-old grandson's First Communion.

Geli and 14 other people were enjoying a lunch at a reastaurant near Gijón, when she started choking. The incident happened at around 4pm.

Two off-duty police officers, who were guests at another communion celebration in the same restaurant, rushed to perform the Heimlich manoeuvre. Emergency medical services and an ambulance arrived shortly after and found Geli in cardiac arrest.

They managed to resuscitate and transport her, still alive, to Hospital Cabueñes, where she died.