By NICK PERRY and KATHY McCORMACK
MEREDITH, N.H. (AP) — Christian Moreno was choking on a lobster roll at his first competitive eating contest when a man to the side of the stage noticed what was happening and rushed over to give him the Heimlich maneuver. It turns out it was New Hampshire’s governor, Chris Sununu.
Video shows the governor lifting Moreno off his feet as he gives him several abdomen compressions at the Hampton Beach Seafood Festival on Sunday. A paramedic then stepped in and continued the compressions until the food was dislodged. Moreno quickly recovered, and even continued eating.
He said Monday he was grateful for the governor’s actions.
“He wasted no time in stepping in and trying to remedy the situation and making sure that others were aware,” Moreno said.
Sununu said it was the first time he’d performed the maneuver, which is also known as abdominal thrusts.
“I’m just glad I paid attention in my high school health class,” the Republican governor said in a statement.
Moreno, of Nashua, was one of six contestants who had 10 minutes to eat as much as they could. The rolls were served with lettuce and light mayonnaise, and piled high with lobster.
“It’s every foodie’s dream,” Moreno said. “All the lobster rolls you can eat to your heart’s desire.”
But as he began eating, he said, he found the stool too tall for the table and so stood up. He ended up hunched over his food. After just two rolls, he was in trouble.
“I realized I was so hyper-focused on how I was standing or sitting that I was not chewing,” he said. “So I tried to wash it down with some water and it ended up getting stuck. And so I was just trying to make sure to stay calm.”
Moreno tried hitting himself in the chest a few times before turning around to signal he needed help. He wasn’t wearing his glasses and, at first, had no idea who came up behind him. He figured in all, he lost about 2 minutes of competition time.
“The paramedic tapped me and was like, ‘Hey, you’re going to keep going?’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, I’m good,’” Moreno said.
He ended up eating nine rolls, placing fourth, with the winner eating 13. The person who was counting how many rolls he’d eaten told him he could claim to be the first person to get the Heimlich maneuver from the governor.
“I was just like, ‘No way. That was the governor? Wow,’” Moreno said.
After the contest, Moreno worked his usual nightshift, at a processing facility for the U.S. Postal Service. A fan of hot dog eating champion Joey Chestnut, Moreno had big dreams going in, hoping to down at least 20 rolls.
Hungry for redemption, he vows he’ll be back at next year’s competition.
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McCormack reported from Concord, New Hampshire.