A New Jersey state trooper is being praised for saving a choking man in a rescue caught by a restaurant’s surveillance camera.
New Jersey State Police officials reported that off-duty Trooper Dennis Palaia was watching football with his son Sunday at a Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant in Rockaway Township when he noticed a man in distress at a nearby table.
"Without hesitation, he rushed to the man, who was showing signs that he could not breathe," police officials said on Facebook. "Recognizing that the man was choking, he immediately began the Heimlich maneuver.
The black and white surveillance footage shows a jersey-clad Palaia sitting with his son when the man, who also was sitting and eating with a young boy, appears to start coughing. After a few moments, it becomes clear that the man is choking on his food.
As soon as Palaia notices the man’s distress, he gets up and appears to ask the diner if he is all right. The man shakes his head.
Palaia gets behind him and gives him several Heimlich thrusts to dislodge the food. After five tries, the man gasps and starts breathing again. The visibly shaken man breathes deeply several times as Palaia and another man who ran over to help hold him steady.
State police officials said that the man’s skin returned to its natural color.
"The victim thanked Trooper Palaia for his life-saving efforts," officials said. "And with the exception of a sore throat and aching ribs, we are pleased to report that the man made a full recovery."
The troopers' Facebook followers praised Palaia for his quick thinking.
“OMG! I got the chills,” one woman wrote. “Go, Dennis! You’re a hero!”
“Thank heavens for wonderful people like Trooper Dennis!,” another woman wrote. “Glad to hear the guy was OK, too.”
“Hard to watch,” a third commenter wrote. “Attaboy, trooper!”
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