A gentleman submitted the following letter but wished to remain anonymous. Penobscot Bay Pilot rarely allows unsigned letters to be published; however, there are occasions when they are warranted. This is one of those occasions. 

On Saturday, April 11, while enjoying a meal with my mother at the Thomaston Applebee’s, I found myself with a sizable piece of food lodged in my airway.  We must have been enjoying our conversation, as I evidently got so wrapped up that I forgot how to eat.
Within moments, I was in the parking lot trying fruitlessly to dislodge the blockage on my own, when out of nowhere I realized that I was surrounded by concerned employees (and I believe a passerby), who all immediately sprung into action. 

One individual offered to and began performing the Heimlich Maneuver, another rushed for water, another picked up the phone to call an ambulance, and others frantically searched for ways to help.

In the end, after a few different attempts and methods, I managed to clear the blockage.  After returning to my seat, I was checked on by managers, bartenders, servers and patrons.

I mean no hyperbole when I say that there’s a good chance you all saved my life in that moment, and I cannot express how grateful I am for that.  As a multi-decade employee of the hospitality world, I have been trained and offered trainings to people for this exact scenario, but have been lucky enough to never need to bear witness to or exercised these procedures.

The staff at Applebee’s deserves all the commendations in the world for their cool, calm, and quick response to what felt a bit like a waking nightmare.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you.