Dr Henry Heimlich uses Heimlich manoeuvre for first time, aged 96

Doctor uses anti-choking technique that bears his name to dislodge hamburger from woman’s airway in retirement home

The 96-year-old surgeon credited with developing his namesake Heimlich manoeuvre recently used the emergency technique for the first time himself to save a woman choking on food at his retirement home.

Dr Henry Heimlich told the Cincinnati Enquirer in an interview on Thursday that he has demonstrated the well-known manoeuvre many times through the years but had never before used it on a person who was choking.

An employee at Deupree House in Cincinnati said the retired chest surgeon was in the room when an 87-year-old woman began choking.

The employee said Heimlich dislodged a piece of hamburger from the woman’s airway and she quickly recovered.

Heimlich said it made him appreciate how wonderful it had been “to be able to save all those lives”.