Dog saved life of man choking on pickled onion by performing the Heimlich manoeuvre

A man who nearly choked to death on a pickled onion says his pet dog saved his life by unwittingly performing the Heimlich manoeuvre. Alan Spencer, 67, of Withernsea, Yorkshire, was tucking into his dinner when a piece of skin from the pickled vegetable blocked his windpipe. Mr Spencer staggered towards his front door to get help from neighbours but collapsed in his hallway. As he choked on the pickle he said he felt his life slipping away.



But, just as he started to black out, Mr Spencer's 18-month-old Labrador Lexi jumped heavily on his back, dislodging the onion. "People will say they are only animals and they don't know what they were doing, but Lexi is so clever, she is very canny," said Mr Spencer. "She saved my life most definitely. If it wasn't for her I honestly don't think I would be here. Normally I don't speak like that, but looking back on the whole situation if it wasn't for her actions I would be dead, lying in that passageway dead."

Mr Spencer, who lives alone, spent three tortuous minutes frantically trying to dislodge the vegetable from his throat before seeking help. "It went straight down my throat and blocked the air completely," he said. "I was absolutely petrified. I was coughing and choking and leaping about trying to get it free. I got out the living room and tried to get down the passage to open the door to get someone's attention outside. I felt myself going completely. I felt the life going out of me." As Mr Spencer struggled to breathe, his pet Labradors Lexi and ten-month-old Nancy grew anxious.


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He said: "The poor dogs didn't know that was going on. They were going mad. I fell to the floor and I was fighting and fighting for air and to get to the door. The small dog Nancy was jumping on my legs and Lexi was licking my face." Mr Spencer became convinced he was going to die when Lexi sprang into action. "All of a sudden out of the blue I felt this almighty crash on my back and it was Lexi," said Mr Spencer. "She had just jumped straight up in the air and landed right in the middle of my back. All of a sudden the piece of onion shot out of my mouth and I could breathe again."