What started out as a fun get-together between friends ended up being anything but ordinary.
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Broadcast icon Bob Costas and a friend were enjoying a night out at a Syracuse restaurant when the friend began choking on a piece of food, according to Page Six. Costas immediately sprang into action and performed the Heimlich maneuver on his friend, who appears to be OK.
In a statement released to Page Six by one of Costas' representatives, the broadcaster — not surprisingly — downplayed the incident
"Bob doesn't think this was that big of a deal," the representative wrote. "He really feels he did what just about anyone else would do in a similar situation."
That's a modest assessment, but it should come as no surprise. The 71-year-old Sports Broadcasting Hall of Famer has called just about every major event one can imagine, from the World Series to the Olympics. In August 2018, he and NBC parted ways after the network went through a series of changes. The two sides didn't come to an agreement on the final three years of his contract until January 2019.
While other sportscasters and personalities make their mark by being overly dramatic or controversial, Costas' cool, calm and collected voice is the trademark that has made him an Emmy Award-winner and endearing figure in millions of households.
Costas also shared details of the choking incident in an appearance on "The Show with Joel Sherman and Jon Heyman" podcast. After he noticed his friend turning crimson, Costas said, he got up and went to help.
"Luckily enough it worked out," Costas said on the podcast. "I don't know if I saved his life, but I saved him from considerable discomfort, that's for sure."
Again, an understatement. While most of us would probably be willing to come to someone's aid in a situation like that, not everyone is well-versed on performing the Heimlich maneuver, a technique credited to Dr. Henry Judah Heimlich, an American thoracic surgeon and researcher. Heimlich also invented the Micro Trach, a portable oxygen system used by ambulatory patients.
Perhaps this is a good reminder that we all should get up to speed on the process, along with CPR. We never know when they might come in handy.
