Blue Jays' manager Schneider saves choking woman's life with Heimlich Maneuver

It might be a little over a month before Opening Day, but Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider seems to already have made his most important move of the year.

Down with the Blue Jays ahead of their spring training opener next week, Schneider saved a stranger from a scary incident while out for a meal.

Per a tweet from Sportsnet’s Hazel Mae, Schneider was out for lunch with his wife, when Schneider rushed over to aid a choking woman at another table. Performing the Heimlich Maneuver, Schneider was able to save her from choking.

Manager John Schneider was out at lunch with his wife, when a woman at another table was choking and couldn’t breathe. Schneider rushed to her aid, performed the Heimlich maneuver, and saved her.
Just another day in the life… #BlueJays

— Hazel Mae (@thehazelmae) February 19, 2023

“Just another day in the life,” Mae added.

What if you are ever in Schneider’s shoes?

While it’s obviously ideal to never have to save a choking person’s life, it’s good to know the basic steps should it ever come to that scenario.

Here’s how to perform the Heimlich, as per the Mayo Clinic:

• Stand behind the person. For a child, kneel down behind. Place one foot slightly in front of the other for balance. Wrap your arms around the waist. Tip the person forward slightly.
• Make a fist with one hand. Put it just above the person’s navel.
• Grasp the fist with the other hand. Press into the stomach, also called the abdomen, with a quick, upward thrust — as if trying to lift the person up. For a child, use gentle yet firm pressure to avoid damaging the internal organs.
• Give five abdominal thrusts. Check if the blockage has been removed. Repeat as needed.

Should there be an instance where someone is choking, Mayo Clinic suggests using either the Heimlich maneuver (also known as abdominal thrusts), a series of back blows at the shoulder blade, or a combination of both.

“Some sources only teach the abdominal thrust,” the Mayo Clinic adds. “It’s OK not to use back blows if you haven’t learned the back-blow technique. Both approaches are acceptable for adults and children older than age 1.”

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