8:01AM | An off-duty Long Beach police detective earlier this month used his training as a certified emergency medical technician to save his father’s life.
Detective Rob Owens, a member of the Long Beach Police Department’s Special Weapons and Tactics team, and his family were having dinner with his father, who was visiting from out of state, on Thursday, May 19, an LBPD spokeswoman said.
As the Owenses enjoyed their meal, his father suddenly began to choke, gasping for air several times.
The family frantically asked the older man if he could breathe, and he shook his head to indicate that he could not. Owens swiftly sprang from his seat and, drawing upon his six years of EMT experience, immediately began to perform the Heimlich Maneuver, the spokeswoman said.
The maneuver consists of a series of firm compressions under the diaphragm of a person whose airway is obstructed. The force of this action typically dislodges whatever foreign object is obstructing the choking person’s airway.
The food particle that had become lodged in Owens’ father’s throat was dislodged after the first compression. The man was able to catch his breath and was soon back to enjoying dinner with the family, the spokeswoman said.
Owens is a 14-year veteran of the LBPD. He is currently assigned to the department’s Gang Enforcement Section. After becoming a SWAT officer in 2002, he became one of the team’s certified EMTs in 2005.