Fostoria mayor saves woman from choking

Sept. 15--FOSTORIA -- Eric Keckler was part of a "cash mob" dining at a local Mexican restaurant Wednesday evening when he noticed a woman choking and promptly performed the Heimlich Maneuver on her.

Her grateful husband looked at his much relieved wife and said, "Well, honey, you just met the mayor."

Mr. Keckler, 50, took office Jan. 1. His first aid training was part of the mayoral package for Fostoria residents -- he'd been trained in 2007 when he worked as public works superintendent for the city.

"It just so happened I was in the right place at the right time, and it worked out great," Mr. Keckler said Friday.

He did not recall the name of the woman he saved from choking. but Amber Bowers, manager of Los Tocallos Restaurant, said the woman returned Thursday to purchase a gift certificate for the mayor. She did not know her either.

"I think [Wednesday] was the first time she was here," Ms. Bowers said.

The restaurant was the beneficiary of Fostoria's latest "cash mob" event where locals are encouraged to spend some money shopping or eating at a local store or restaurant. The mayor said it was only the second such event that he attended, and he's glad he did.

"I was sitting with [Greg Flores] the gentleman who arranged the cash mob, and I looked over and saw the nice lady who kind of gave the international sign that she was choking," Mr. Keckler said. "I saw her husband stand her up and try to help her out. He was trying to do the Heimlich. I don't know why he didn't get it accomplished."

The mayor walked over to help.

"I asked her if she was able to breathe and she shook her head," he said, adding that she wasn't making any sounds -- a sure sign of trouble. "I was listening to see if she was coughing and she wasn't coughing or anything. I did about four or five good Heimlichs and she was back in business again."

Mayor Keckler said he's a firm believer in training city workers in CPR and other life-saving techniques -- not just police officers and firefighters, but the public works staff who are out on the street every day.

"To me it's very important," Mr. Keckler said. "After we did certification the first time in 2007, one employee was in a neighborhood when a woman came running out of the house saying her husband had a heart attack. He went in and performed CPR until the ambulance got there."

Public works employees work on streets, sewer and water lines, and the cemetery.

"Since they're out there all the time, they may be the first people to see something happening," the mayor said. "We don't want them running ambulance calls or anything, but if they see something they can at least get things started until the ambulance gets there."

Contact Jennifer Feehan at:

jfeehan@theblade.com

or 419-724-6129.

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