A wedding photographer is more than just someone pressing a shutter button while telling you to smile. But a photographer from Canada recently became an unexpected hero when she saved a guest’s life while capturing moments at a wedding. The man was choking, and thanks to the photographer’s prompt reaction, he was able to breathe again.
The incident took place at a wedding in Canmore, Alberta. Photographer Lauren Horch of Tkshotz was sitting at a table with the groom’s uncle. He suddenly began to struggle, gasping for breath as food lodged in his throat. The alarming moment immediately caught Horch’s attention. “He was tearing up, and wasn’t able to get it out, and was having a hard time breathing,” she recalled.
Without hesitation, she sprang into action. Thankfully, she’d learned a life-saving technique in a babysitting course many years before. She applied pressure to the man’s back, but it didn’t work. She immediately moved to abdominal thrusts, and the man started breathing freely again. “Thankfully, he was able to get it out on, I think it was the third thrust,” Horch told Global News.
“I think everybody was shocked,” added Horch’s associate at Tkshotz, Todd Zwiczak. “Everything moved so fast, and she reacted very fast, right? Like, she didn’t even delay at all.” Horch said that it wasn’t only her previous training that guided her in the critical moment. Her own experiences as a parent had also prepared her for such emergencies. “I’ve got kids, so I’ve always kind of walked myself through, mentally, like what would happen if they were choking,” she shared with Global News.
Be prepared
Ben Marasco, the founder of First Aid Calgary, highlighted that few people know what to do in these situations. He says only 20% of Canadians have taken a first aid course in the last three years. He also emphasized the panic and chaos that often occur during emergencies, especially when someone starts choking.
This episode has made Horch realize how important it is to keep her first-aid training updated. Moreover, it also emphasizes how crucial it is to prepare for emergencies, especially in crowded events like weddings. I think basic first-aid is something we should all learn, and this event definitely confirms it.
[via FStoppers]
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