FALL RIVER, MASS. (WHDH) – A cook at a Barrett’s Alehouse in Fall River is being hailed a hero after he jumped into action to help a co-worker who was choking during their shift Tuesday night.
Curtis Medeiros said his normal shift turned into a life-saving moment when a co-worker called out his name.
“I was cooking chicken at the time, and when I’m in my zone I don’t pay attention to nothing. So I was just like moving back and forth in-between my station,” Medeiros said. “She barely, like barely, got it out. I looked at her, her face was beat red, and I just ran as fast as I possibly could in that little space.”
Medeiros said his co-worker had a piece of steak stuck in her throat, and couldn’t breathe.
Video from the restaurant shows the woman in a white baseball cap rush to a trash can, as Medeiros runs in to help. Another employee joined him seconds later. Medeiros said he simply acted on instinct.
“I didn’t actually think about anything until it was over, then the nerves started to kick in of what actually happened,” he said. “Once that happened then I was like, ‘I did it.’”
After the save, Medeiros took a photo with the employee – relieved she was okay.
The restaurant’s General Manager said everyone is grateful for his quick response.
“I couldn’t see what was going on until after the fact, until I saw Curtis raise his hands in joy,” said Tim Marques, General Manager of Barrett’s Alehouse in Fall River. “She’s doing good.”
“Do I feel like a hero? A little bit,” said Medeiros. “I feel like, not all heroes wear capes, some wear chef coats.”
Marques said everyone was able to go back to work and finish their shifts after the scare.
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