It’s a good thing Jerrell Freeman’s flight to training camp got delayed. Killing extra time in the Austin airport, the Bears linebacker decided to spent some time in the food court. As he was about to eat his meal, he noticed a man at another table in distress.
At first, Freeman was a bit confused. From the Chicago Tribune:
Said Freeman: “Like he had forgotten something and was about to go running for it. But then he went around the table and started to look a little frantic. I’m thinking, ‘Man, this is odd. Maybe one of his kids walked off and he can’t find his kid or something?’”
He realized the man, Marcus Ryan, was actually choking on his brisket when he saw a woman tried to administer the Heimlich maneuver. But she was not strong enough to expel the food, so Freeman went and saved the man’s life. It took him two tries, but, hey, he was never performed or trained for the Heimlich maneuver before. Most people would freeze instead of help in that situation.
Via the Tribune:
Heimlich attempt No. 1?
“I grabbed him and tried to squeeze the life out of him,” Freeman said. “You’ve got to push in and up. So I did that and he started throwing up what he was choking on. I asked him if he was all right and he shook his head like ‘No!’”
Heimlich attempt No. 2?
“I grabbed him again and hit him again with it,” Freeman added. “And when I put him down the second time, his eyes got big. He was like, ‘Oh, my god! I think you just saved my life, man!’ It was crazy.”
Both parties reacted to the life-saving event on social media.
CRAZY!! Just saved my guy Marcus Ryan's life by using the Heimlich maneuver in the middle of the Austin airport! WOW Mom would be proud haha pic.twitter.com/yzgGw967iO
— Jerrell Freeman (@JerrellFreeman) July 23, 2017
Ryan, not fazed, ultimately went back to finish his brisket.
“Crazy,” Freeman said. “Hey, I guess that was some good brisket. He wasn’t about to let that go to waste. You can’t get between a man and his brisket. I get it.”
Eat your food slowly, people.
