Hunter Harris
Hunter Harris
Career
In The Media
Photo of Hunter Harris performing the heimlich maneuver on the choking customer [5]
On Saturday, June 28, 2018, Hunter Harris helped save a choking Chick-Fil-A customer by performing the Heimlich Maneuver until he stopped coughing.
A month or two before this incident, Harris helped save a co-worker who was choking.
Hunter Harris was working Saturday afternoon when his coworker, Anita Duran, ran in to let him know someone was choking.
[2]"I was up here doing my job, and our dining room lady, Anita, came up to me with urgency and said that there's a man choking in the dining room," Harris said.
[2] In surveillance video released by the franchise, a customer starts choking on his food and a female customer leaps out of her seat to perform the Heimlich maneuver to save him.
[6] [4] Despite the effort, the woman was not able to stop the man from choking.
"She was trying really hard, but I think he was maybe too heavy or something," Duran said.
"I ran over there to call Hunter, and he immediately came over here to help."
[6] [4] Harris stepped in to perform the Heimlich maneuver and successfully saved the man's life.
"I did what I could do, and it all worked out.
I just made sure that he was OK.
We got him a fresh meal, and then he just went on his way."
[2] Hunter's father, Jamie, who owns the franchise, said his son's actions didn't surprise him.
"His character is to jump in and help when help is needed.
You could see that it was natural for him.
Very proud of that," Jamie Harris said.
[2] Duran told KVUE she immediately called Hunter Harris to come help because he's saved someone else before at this location about a month or two ago.
"And so I knew that he knew the maneuvers to do the position and everything," Duran said.
"I told him he's a hero."
[2] Jamie Harris said his son isn't the only hero in this story.
The customer sitting next to the choking man who jumped into help is a hero, too.
Harris is hoping to get in touch with her in order to thank her.