Greene County Deputy Recognized For Saving Choking Woman’s Life

Greene County Deputy Sarah Brown was presented the Lifesaving Commendation Bar by Sheriff Wesley Holt.  Sheriff Holt received a letter from Greene County citizen Rhonda Hennessy concerning a recent incident, praising the actions of Deputy Brown.

On June 21, 2024, Mrs. Hennessy was eating at a local restaurant when her airway became blocked as she choked on her food. Her husband tried to assist, but nothing he did was helping. According to Hennessy’s letter, Deputy Brown approached the couple and told the husband, “I got this.” Mrs. Hennessy writes, “I am so thankful to say she did!” Deputy Brown assisted the choking woman until she could breathe again.

Mrs. Hennessy wrote to Sheriff Holt, “Deputy Brown should be recognized for having saved my life with her intervening actions.” Sheriff Holt presented the pin to Deputy Brown, with her supervisors, Lt. Mark Crum and Sgt. Frank Cedillo, present, along with Mrs. Hennessy.

Deputy Brown commented, “I heard her gasp, realized she was choking, and just responded. I feel that I did what anyone would have done in that situation. I would have responded the same way whether in uniform or not.”

Sheriff Holt said, “Deputy Sarah Brown stepped up in an emergency situation and saved this woman’s life. That is incredible. I’m proud of her and proud to have her at the department.”

Deputy Brown’s quick thinking and knowledge of the Heimlich maneuver were crucial in saving Mrs. Hennessy’s life, highlighting the importance of being trained in first aid techniques.

Information on Choking and the Heimlich Maneuver

Choking occurs when an object, often a piece of food, blocks the airway, preventing air from reaching the lungs. This can lead to unconsciousness and death if not promptly treated. Signs of choking include inability to speak, difficulty breathing, coughing, or a high-pitched sound when trying to breathe, and holding the throat.

The Heimlich maneuver, also known as abdominal thrusts, is a first aid procedure used to treat upper airway obstructions (choking) by foreign objects.  The Mayo Clinic gives these tips if someone is choking.

If a choking person can cough forcefully, let the person keep coughing.
Coughing might naturally remove the stuck object.

If a person can’t cough, talk, cry or laugh forcefully, give first aid to the person.
The American Red Cross recommends the following steps:

• Give five back blows. Stand to the side and just behind a choking adult. For a child, kneel down behind. Place your arm across the person’s chest to support the person’s body. Bend the person over at the waist to face the ground. Strike five separate times between the person’s shoulder blades with the heel of your hand.
• Give five abdominal thrusts. If back blows don’t remove the stuck object, give five abdominal thrusts, also known as the Heimlich maneuver.
• Alternate between five blows and five thrusts until the blockage is dislodged.

The Mayo Clinic website says some sources only teach the abdominal thrust. It’s OK not to use back blows if you haven’t learned the back-blow technique. Both approaches are acceptable for adults and children older than age 1.

To give abdominal thrusts to someone else:

• Stand behind the person. For a child, kneel down behind. Place one foot slightly in front of the other for balance. Wrap your arms around the waist. Tip the person forward slightly.
• Make a fist with one hand. Put it just above the person’s navel.
• Grasp the fist with the other hand. Press into the stomach, also called the abdomen, with a quick, upward thrust — as if trying to lift the person up. For a child, use gentle yet firm pressure to avoid damaging the internal organs.
• Give five abdominal thrusts. Check if the blockage has been removed. Repeat as needed.

If you’re the only rescuer, give back blows and abdominal thrusts first. Then call 911 or your local emergency number for help. If another person is there, have that person call for help while you give first aid.

If the person becomes unconscious, start standard cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) with chest compressions and rescue breaths.

To clear the airway of an unconscious person:

• Lower the person onto the floor, with the back on the floor and arms to the sides.
• Clear the airway. If you can see the object, reach a finger into the mouth to sweep out the object. Never finger sweep if you can’t see the object. You risk pushing the blockage deeper into the airway. This is very risky with young children.
• Begin CPR if the person still doesn’t respond. If the airway is still blocked, use chest compressions such as those that are used in CPR to remove the stuck object. Only use two rescue breaths per cycle. Recheck the mouth regularly for the object.

• Put your hands at the base of the breastbone, just above the joining of the lowest ribs.
• Press hard into the chest with a quick thrust. This is the same action as the Heimlich maneuver.
• Repeat until the blockage is removed from the airway.

Call 911 or your local emergency number right away. Then, give yourself abdominal thrusts, also called the Heimlich maneuver, to remove the stuck object.

• Place a fist slightly above your navel.
• Grasp your fist with the other hand.
• Bend over a hard surface. A countertop or chair will do.
• Shove your fist inward and upward.