Featured Image Credit: RIP.ie/Getty Stock Image
Topics: Health, Food and Drink, UK News, Ireland
Callum Jones
Topics: Health, Food and Drink, UK News, Ireland
A wedding guest tragically lost his life after choking on a steak during the reception.
Brendan Glynn, 67, tragically died at the Armada Hotel in Spanish Point, Ireland on 22 December last year.
The Daily Mirror reported that Brendan had three pints before the meal with fellow guest John Murphy.
John recalled seeing Brendan in 'good form' and 'chatting away' before the incident took place.
Advert
The fellow guest said that Brendan 'seemed fine' and 'did not give any impression that he had been in any difficulty in any way.'
People became aware Brendan was in difficulty after he appeared to not be moving.
Furthermore, guests on the same table noticed 'a liquid coming from the side of his mouth'.
As per the Daily Mirror, John recalled: "His eyes were open - I used a cloth to clean the side of Brendan’s mouth. The whole table at the wedding knew something was wrong at this stage. Brendan just sat there motionless and unresponsive."
Off-duty medical experts performed CPR on Brendan, but he had 'no pulse and wasn't breathing'.
Pat McCarthy, an emergency physician, arrived a the scene shortly past 8pm and managed to remove a 'large chunk of beef' from Brendan's airways.
Sadly, he was later pronounced dead at 8.45pm.
Nearly six months after the tragic incident, a coroner has determined that it was the steak lodged in Brendan's throat that cut his life short.
Assistant State Pathologist, Dr Margot Bolster, said in his post-mortem findings that Glynn 'had been eating steak, his face went blue, and he slumped over,' as per the Daily Mirror.
That led to a medical professional having to step in.
"A number of large chunks of steak obstructing the larynx were removed by medical personnel from the airways," Bolster noted.
As a result of this tragic incident, people are being reminded lesser-known choking symptoms.
Mayo Clinic states that chocking symptoms include 'panic, shock or confusion, 'inability to talk', 'squeaky sounds when trying to breathe' and 'one or both hands clutched to the throat'.
The medical experts advise: "If you're the only rescuer, give back blows and abdominal thrusts first. Then call 911 or your local emergency number for help. If another person is there, have that person call for help while you give first aid.
"If you're alone and choking, call 911 or your local emergency number right away. Then, give yourself abdominal thrusts, also called the Heimlich maneuver, to remove the stuck object."