I'll take "Yeah, That Happened In New Hampshire" for 500, Alex! Chris Sununu, the Governor of New Hampshire, saved a man from choking to death on a lobster roll. During a lobster roll eating contest. Per ABC, Christian Moreno was participating in his first-ever competitive eating contest! He was one of six contestants who had 10 minutes to eat as many lobster rolls as possible!
"It's every foodie's dream," Moreno said to the outlet. "All the lobster rolls you can eat to your heart's desire." However, disaster would strike as Moreno tried to go from sitting to standing while he was two rolls in. "I realized I was so hyper-focused on how I was standing or sitting that I was not chewing. So, I tried to wash it down with some water and it ended up getting stuck. And so I was just trying to make sure to stay calm."
Fortunately for Moreno, Sununu was there to save him from the nefarious lobster. Sununu quickly got behind Moreno and started doing the Heimlich maneuver. A paramedic then rushed in and gave Moreno abdomen compressions until the food was dislodged. Undeterred, Moreno went right back to the contest.
New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu's swift actions saved a man from choking on a lobster roll. pic.twitter.com/5Z0nQqbP7l
— USA TODAY Video (@usatodayvideo) September 10, 2024
New Hampshire Governor Saves A Man's Life
"He wasted no time in stepping in and trying to remedy the situation and making sure that others were aware," Moreno said of Sununu's efforts. Reportedly, it was Sununu's first time applying the maneuver. "I'm just glad I paid attention in my high school health class," the Governor later said in a statement.
For his efforts, Moreno ended up getting fourth place in the competition. Turns out nearly choking to death lost him some precious time! Moreno ate nine rolls to the winner's 13. Additionally, Moreno vowed to make it to next year's lobster roll contest, promising to redeem himself.
Well, it's not all bad for Moreno! He certainly got more press than the winner of the competition, so that's something! Plus, he got to chow down on some delicious lobster! The minor choking incident aside, it seems like the day couldn't have gone any better!