ACWORTH, Ga. — Acworth Police Officer Anthony Salone is being recognized as a hero after he saved a 75-year-old woman who was choking on New Year’s Day at an assisted living facility.
The incident unfolded when Salone responded to an emergency call reporting that the resident was choking and turning blue, while CPR had already been initiated.
Upon arrival, he discovered the woman unresponsive and in need of immediate assistance.
Body camera footage captured Salone rushing into the facility.
“I just grabbed the LifeVac and ran,” Salone said. “She was lying down, her eyes were wide open, but she was unresponsive. She was blue.”
Salone said he had to act quickly.
“I got the LifeVac open and just started working on her,” Salone said.
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After about 30 seconds, he was able to get the object out of the woman’s mouth.
“After we dislodged the obstruction in her throat, she started to breathe again, and you could see the color start coming back. King Jesus came through for us right there,” Salone said.
The LifeVac device, which has been purchased for all officers in the Acworth Police Department, comes in different sizes for adults and children.
“All you would have to do is just push it in, and now it’s ready to work. Every time you plunge down, air comes out, not into the patient, and you would just pull up, and it would dislodge the object. It’s a very less-intrusive, less-risk to injury method, definitely helping someone out,” Salone said.
The purchase of LifeVac devices was motivated by a previous incident where an officer used her personal device while on duty.
Since acquiring the devices a little over a year ago, the department has successfully saved three lives using them.
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