Nine-year-old Corné Kruger saved paramedic Philani Shamase’s life after he choked on a litchi seed, and according to young Corné, it all boiled down to his natural instinct.
‘My grandfather gave me some litchis and I went to see Philani (23) in the control room. I offered him some litchis while he was distracted, talking on the phone,’ said Corné.
‘All of a sudden I saw him hold his throat and I knew he was choking.’
Corné acted quickly and delivered three hefty blows on Philani’s back, which managed to dislodge the litchi seed.
Gleaming with confidence, Corné told the ZO that if circumstances were different he would have performed the Heimlich manoeuvre, promptly illustrating how he would have gone about it.
‘I would have done this but he is bigger than me so I could not get my arms around him.’
Amused by Corné’s re-enactment, a relieved Philani said that he was distracted on the phone and was not paying attention to what he was doing.
‘I ate one while I was in conversation on the phone and I don’t really know what happened, but I ended up swallowing the seed and started choking.
