UHI Argyll student, 23, saves customer’s life from choking

A UHI Argyll student based in Oban has been praised for saving a customer’s life as he choked on food in The Lorne Bar, where she currently works.

Lucy Anderson, 23, had just a split second to act during her shift in The Lorne Bar on Wednesday 17 April, when she realised the customer was in distress.

The bar worker, who has worked at the Lorne since 2018, said: “I went over to check if the customers were enjoying their food.

“I noticed that one of the customers was choking. He had been coughing for a wee bit before I spoke to him, and I think he had tried to wash it away.

“But he could not get it under control.

“By the time I saw him, he was panicked and blue in the face. I think that his distress might have been making it worse for him.”

Lucy explained how she carried out the Heimlich manoeuvre on the customer having received training on the technique two years ago when she had a job as a carer. However, she added she had never had to do it on a real person before.

Lucy said she was left rosy-cheeked when the whole pub broke into applause after the man recovered.

Lucy is currently studying on the NC Beauty Care Level 6 course with UHI Argyll.