By In a dramatic turn of events at the Hampton Beach Seafood Festival, New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu came to the rescue of a contestant choking during a lobster roll eating contest on Sunday. The quick-thinking governor successfully performed the Heimlich maneuver, saving the participant, Christian Moreno, who later returned to the competition.
The incident occurred as Moreno, of Nashua, was participating in the festival’s lobster roll eating contest, where six contestants were given 10 minutes to consume as many of the traditional New England sandwiches as possible. The lobster rolls, typically filled with lobster, celery, and mayonnaise, were served in hot dog-style buns.
The Associated Press writes:
Moreno was one of six participants at the Hampton Beach Seafood Festival contest. They had 10 minutes to eat as many lobster rolls as they could. The New England sandwich is traditionally stuffed with lobster, celery and mayonnaise and served on a hot dog-style bun.
“I’m shooting for at least 20,” Moreno, of Nashua, said in a video account before the contest started, saying he studied competitive eater Joey Chestnut of hot dog-contest eating fame.
Moreno was at the end of a long table, close to where Sununu was watching on the side of the stage after speaking to the crowd a bit earlier.
Standing, Moreno had downed about two lobster rolls when he started choking and tapped his chest, video showed. Sununu rushed out a short time later, put his arms around Moreno and started abdominal thrusts. He said he got in four or five compressions before first responders took over and assisted in dislodging the food.
New Hampshire’s governor came to the aid of a contestant choking on a lobster roll at a seafood festival eating contest. pic.twitter.com/a0aayaNFN4
— The Associated Press (@AP) September 10, 2024
“I’m just glad I paid attention in my high school health class,” the Republican governor said in a statement.
Despite the scare, Moreno recovered swiftly and continued with the competition. Later, he recounted the moment, saying he had no idea it was the governor who had intervened. “My counter came up to me and, like, made a joke. And was like, ‘Oh, like, I bet nobody else can say that they’ve gotten the Heimlich from the governor before.’ And I looked at him, was just like, that was, that was the governor?” Moreno told WMUR-TV.
“It was crazy because it wasn’t so much the jumping in and doing it — I mean, that was wild in itself — but there was so much commotion,” Sununu said, adding that as soon as Moreno’s windpipe and throat were clear, he went right back to eating.
“He went right back to the contest, which I couldn’t believe. He ate another seven lobster rolls after that,” Sununu said. “Right down the gullet.”
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