A University of Missouri fan is being credited with saving the life of ESPN studio analyst Peter Burns.

Burns said on X he was eating with colleagues when he started to choke on a piece of food. He knew something was wrong and tried to tell those eating with him before the Mizzou vs. Boston College game that he couldn’t breathe.

A friend at the table tried to do the Heimlich maneuver but wasn’t successful. Two other people, one of whom was a nurse, also tried but couldn’t help Burns.

Burns said he was starting to black out after about two minutes.

That’s when Mizzou fan Jack Foster stepped in.

Foster is a youth sports coach who happened to be eating in the same establishment, Burns said. He was able to perform the Heimlich and get the food dislodged.

The coach said that his training to prep for the new season was what helped him save Burns’ life.

Burns was checked out by Mizzou Football’s trainer who found that the television personality had four minor rib fractures.

The National Safety Council said that choking is the fourth leading cause of unintentional injury death. In 2022, 5,553 people died from choking, USA Today reported.

The Heimlich maneuver allows air in a choking person’s lungs to dislodge an item from the esophagus.

It should be used when a choking person is conscious and choking. They are choking when they can’t speak, breathe or cough.

The first step is to ask the person “Are you choking?” They may be able to cough but not be able to speak or ask for health. They may show the universal sign of choking - holding hands up and clutching the throat.

If the person can speak, cough or breathe, do not perform the Heimlich maneuver. Have the person continue coughing. Sometimes that is enough. You should only perform the maneuver if the person’s life is in danger, the Cleveland Clinic said.

If you have to perform it on an adult:

• Stand behind the person and put your hands around their abdomen
• Make a fist with one hand and grab it with your other.
• Place the thumb of your fist just below their ribcage.
• Sharply and quickly thrust your hands inward and upward five times.
• Repeat until either the object comes out or the person becomes unconscious. If they become unconscious then perform CPR.

For children younger than 5 and under 45 pounds, it is a similar method but you should kneel behind the child and don’t use as much force.

You should not do the Heimlich on infants 12 months or younger. Instead, you should use backslaps, turning the baby face down with their chest on your forearm or thigh with their head lower than their body. Then you should hit the back of the child with the heel of your hand between their shoulder blades five times. The strikes should be firm, but not hard enough to cause an injury.

If it is not successful, then turn the baby face up with their head downward and using the second and third fingers, perform five inward and upward chest thrusts about 1/2 to 1 1/2 inches into the sternum. Continue doing maneuvers until the object comes out or the baby becomes unconscious. In that case, begin CPR.

You can also perform the Heimlich on yourself when you’re alone. You will still make a fist and grasp it with the other hand but then do the five quick thrusts to dislodge whatever is stuck. You can also use a railing, chair, or table edge instead of your fist, the Cleveland Clinic said.

© 2024 Cox Media Group