Bartender Saves Man Choking In Boston Restaurant
BOSTON (CBS) - At Silvertone Bar and Grill, Oscar Simoza takes care of people usually from behind the bar.
On Thursday during the dinner rush, he literally jumped to the other side of the counter.
"My body just reacted," Simoza said.
The bar's surveillance camera caught what happened. Two people started slapping the man in the plaid shirt's back.
"I thought he was laughing but actually he was choking at that point," Simoza said. "I realized he was going bright red."
No one else reacted, but Oscar jumped in. Stephen Murray sat at the other end of the bar.
"I actually thought the guy was going to get thrown out like he was wrapping him up like some security and then I looked up and saw his face turn really, really red," Stephen Murray said.
Oscar says he trained as a lifeguard when he was young, but admitted he had never performed the Heimlich maneuver.
"I realized it was from watching Baywatch that I started doing this," said Simoza.
It worked.
"I think at one time, I squeezed too hard because I heard the crack of his ribs and he said 'you got it dude,'" said Simoza.
Oscar says the patron who was in his mid-20's and was slightly embarrassed, but, as the other patrons realized the life-saving effort, they broke out in applause.
"He deserves the recognition he's like a superhero," Murray said.
The young man went on eating his meal and Oscar went back to the bar with one of the best tips he has received.
"The best tip he gave me, he gave me a firm handshake and asked me for my name and he said 'thank you for saving my life' and that's just like a thing I never will forget," said Simoza.