TAMPA, Fla. – A deputy with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office sprang into action when he noticed a man was choking and successfully dislodged the obstruction by performing the Heimlich maneuver.
On Tuesday, October 13, 2020, at 8:52 p.m., Deputy Clayton Rideout was finalizing a traffic stop at South 51st Avenue and South 78th Street in Tampa, when another vehicle pulled up to the scene honking its horn. The driver then got out of the car and waved his hand in the air. Deputy Rideout realized the man was choking and ran to render aid. Within seconds, the man’s airway was cleared. After the incident, he told deputies he was eating a sandwich when he started choking on a piece of it.
“We are incredibly proud of Deputy Rideout for determining so quickly the steps he needed to take to save this man’s life,” said Sheriff Chad Chronister. “Less than 24 hours before this incident, another deputy had saved a teen’s life by performing CPR in the school’s cafeteria. In these critical moments, when seconds count, our deputies apply the skills they acquired through our training programs to respond to all kinds of sudden and unexpected situations. They are our everyday heroes.”