JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. -- On a Saturday evening after working on base, most traditional reservist wouldn't expect their dinner plans to become a life-saving ordeal.
But that is exactly what happened to Senior Airman Ian Brenner, 514th Maintenance Squadron. While dining with fellow squadron members, at a local restaurant, Brenner saved a woman from what could've been her last meal.
"Not even within five minutes of sitting down, I noticed a man was performing the Heimlich maneuver on his wife," Brenner said.
But it wasn't effective, and Brenner said a panic started in the restaurant and someone yelled to call an ambulance.
Brenner decided to help and stepped in to attempt the Heimlich maneuver on the woman.
"Without hesitation I saw Brenner go over, tap the man out and perform the Heimlich," said a Senior Airman from the 514th MXS.
Brenner said he performed the Heimlich for 15 to 20 seconds then paused to check if she could breathe.
"She was unable to make any sounds. There was drool coming out of her mouth. She shook her head, and I could hear people say she was turning blue in the face," Brenner said. "She motioned for me to try one more time and turned her back to me."
By now, a crowd had formed, and Brenner said he realized the situation was critical and tried again with much more force, to the point he was afraid of damaging her ribs.
"I turned her around and asked her if she was able to breathe at all, she sputtered a bit and replied with a, 'yes, thank you,'" Brenner said.
Brenner said he learned the Heimlich maneuver during military training and while volunteering as an emergency medical technician.
"I never actually had to do it," Brenner said.
After the woman could breathe once again, everyone went back to their dinners without so much as exchanging names. Brenner said a few patrons thanked him, and the manager even paid for his meal.
"I'm 100-percent sure that woman would have died if he wasn't there", said Senior Airman Trenton Yablonski.