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EL MONTE, Calif. () — A restaurant owner in El Monte is grateful she was in the right place at the right time to save a choking customer.
Surveillance video caught the owner’s heroic actions at Carnitas Y Chicharrones “El Gallo” on Sunday.
Owner Maria Molina said the restaurant was packed when someone came to her saying one of her regular customers was outside and needed water because he was choking.
When Molina walked outside, she saw water wouldn’t help. She took action and did the Heimlich maneuver on him.
“I see it’s not about water. He couldn’t breathe anymore,” Molina told Eyewitness News. “He was choking on food, so I just reacted. It was so scary. It was really scary, so I just knew I had to do something.”
Molina said she never took a CPR class but after a few tries with the Heimlich maneuver, the food came out and he was able to breathe again.
Molina said the customer thanked her for saving his life. He told her it was OK to post the video on social media.
Now Molina and her employees plan to take CPR classes.
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