“Heimlich Maneuver Saved My Life on Shabbos”

By COLlive reporter

This past Friday night, R’ Moti Lipsker was celebrating Shabbos with his family in his home. Lipsker is a resident of the Shikun Chabad neighborhood in Lod and owners the grocery Moti Market.

He said that during the meal, he took a bit of a hard cookie and felt that a piece of it got stuck in his throat.

“It was blocking my my airways, and I couldn’t breathe,” he recalled. “ I felt like I was going to collapse.”

He even had difficulty signaling to the family members that he is in trouble.

But then a relative who was familiar with the Heimlich maneuver, got up and performed the emergency procedure on him. “It saved my life,” Lipsker said.

After Shabbos, Lipsker filmed a clip asking fellow Lubavitchers who learn first aid.

“Friends, it is very important that a member of the household should know First Aid. I thought this was my end. Friends, go to learn First Aid.”

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Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to perform the Heimlich maneuver:

1. Stand behind the choking person and wrap your arms around their waist.
2. Make a fist with one hand and place the thumb side against the person’s abdomen, slightly above the navel but below the ribcage.
3. Grasp your fist with your other hand and give quick, upward thrusts into the abdomen. Each thrust should be firm and rapid.
4. Continue with thrusts until the object causing the choking is dislodged, or until the person becomes unconscious.
5. If the person becomes unconscious, carefully lower them to the ground and start CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) if you are trained to do so.

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Remember, it’s crucial to call emergency services right away when someone is choking and needs assistance. Learning the maneuver is not a substitute for proper medical training, so it’s important to seek professional help as soon as possible.