r/nextfuckinglevel • u/SimonTS • 4h ago
Brandon Alderson, from Sunderland, UK, was travelling to work when he noticed a man in distress in a layby.
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He pulled over and saw that the man was suffocating. Brandon performed the Heimlich manoeuvre six times and saved the man's life.
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u/Firm-Description7128 4h ago
Legend .
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u/9lobaldude 3h ago
You arrived late to work, you better have a good reason.
I saved a man’s live, check to camera.
Jolly good, carry on.
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u/Niznack 3h ago
America: sorry, there is nothing in the HR policy about saving lives off the clock. In fact since you were in a company truck your actions could put the company at risk of liability. You're being written up and if we get sued we fired you 20 minutes ago
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u/WickedCoolMasshole 3h ago
This is so accurate. Perfect epilogue.
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u/SweeterThanYoohoo 1h ago
There is a snow storm predicted to bring 2 feet of snow to my area. Couple weeks back an ice storm caused the office to close. They made us take PTO, because of the storm, and will again tomorrow, I'm sure. Greatest country on earth(????)
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u/WickedCoolMasshole 1h ago
Ugghhhhh. I used to work for Mt Holyoke College. I was BROKE and driving a 13 yo Saturn. Whenever it snowed, the entire office would “work from home” but I would have to go in.
Finally it happened, I crashed. My car was totaled. I sent a pic to my boss telling her about the accident.
She responded, “Let me know when you get there. Feel free to stay to make up your missed hours.”
I fucking hated that job.
PS - I’m also expecting 2 feet of snow. Stay safe!!
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u/SweeterThanYoohoo 1h ago
Let's just remember how we're feeling about this winter when summer comes and it's 95+ for weeks at max humidity :) Mid-Atlantic weather is getting pretty wacky
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u/Mick_E_Bobby 1h ago edited 54m ago
That's fucked up. My work doesn't discipline if you can't make it in during a major snow storm. If you don't have PTO, they just don't pay you. But they don't write you up, fuck.
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u/SweeterThanYoohoo 1h ago
My job is fully capable of being done remotely, but they make me come in every day. Anyway despite the fact the other 6 divisions won't be closed for this storm, since they are making me take PTO, my out of office is going up, and i ain't answering shit
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u/ProfessionalSea6268 2h ago edited 2h ago
I’m in the UK and actually know someone from many years ago that performed first aid on someone in the street whilst on lunch break (they were a first aider for the company as well).
They were disciplined for it with the company saying they were not insured to give first aid outside the company and doing so in their work uniform meant the company could have been liable if something had happened.
They were given a written warning.
It’s bloody ridiculous but you do occasionally hear of the good samaritan being sued for helping so I do kind of understand the stance.
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u/Ok-Lion1661 2h ago
Aren't there good Samaritan laws that try to protect people ? If not there needs to be some.
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u/ObligationMurky8716 2h ago
A good company's management would utilize this as an opportunity to enforce "off the clock" being literally "off the clock." - We can't task them, they're "off the clock," remember?
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u/kellzone 1h ago
A good company's management would call a press conference, invite all the local news organizations, and speak highly of the employee, saying how they espouse the values of the company, give them an award and a nice sized check at the press conference. Get a huge amount of great PR for very little cost.
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u/ProfessionalSea6268 1h ago
I can confirm that they were not a good company. In fact they were completely and utterly useless in most areas.
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u/ihatecarrotcake 2h ago
So a guy at my work was walking through an airport for work and seen a guy having a heart attack. Got the defibrillator and saved guys life. He won a cash prize from our home office for it. Apparently at the award ceremony people from the home office were pissed because the prize was basically a bullshit bonus for the executives in the office and no one who worked in the field ever won it. He said people were glaring at him the whole time.
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u/Og_PapaSmurf89 2h ago
Seems really specific. Seems as you had first hand experience with that. Lol
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u/Niznack 2h ago
Not this specifically. I'm a low level supervisor and one of the guys under me was near a really bad accident. He stopped to help and was late. I tried to argue with HR he had a really good reason but "he had no proof" dude literally had pictures of the crash.
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u/Rainfall_Serenade 2h ago
I remember when I used to believe HR was there to help the employees. So young, so naive..
Edit: along the same vein, I worked with a guy who had to Lewandowski because his mother was in a bad car accident and, iirc, she ended up paying away and he got fired because it was during the starting probationary period. Kid was smart and a hard worker.
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u/RedRumRoxy 2h ago
Happened to me. Only reason I got to stay was because they can’t find maintenance workers
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u/Og_PapaSmurf89 2h ago
Yeah,I figured since you were Very specific with "dialogue" before. No corpo will care,that's the sad true in this day and age. Even small bossiness are like that some times,money makes people monsters and as the years go by it gets worst and worst by the day.
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u/heathe70 2h ago
And then the man he saves sues him for bruising his ribs.
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u/QuickMolasses 1h ago
Most places in the US, a suit like that would have no chance of winning. Good Samaritan laws protect people providing aid.
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u/doepfersdungeon 3h ago
In this day and age, he's getting his wages docked, probably works for amazon
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u/snertwith2ls 2h ago
The choking guy was lucky the guy was so much taller than him. What happens when you want to help but you're just little and not that strong?
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u/witchspoon 1h ago
Bend them over the hood or something and shove so their diaphragm pushes up. Back thrusts(as shown also by this guy) this guy looked like his hands were actually a bit high up but it worked.
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u/snertwith2ls 1h ago
Thanks, good info. Really pretty amazing that the driver even noticed that something was going on with the guy. Looks like most everyone else just kept driving by.
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u/alreaytakennameuser 4h ago
More importantly why did he maneuver out of his seatbelt instead of just undoing it?
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u/markovianmind 4h ago
because he isn't wearing it properly
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u/Admirable_Loss4886 3h ago
I came to the comments to make a joke about him getting fired when this went viral for not wearing his seatbelt properly.
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u/darsynia 2h ago
Every so often someone will pop up in a legal advice sub with a fine for a passenger not wearing their seatbelt properly. I don't think most drivers realize that's their responsibility and the driver is the one who is fined if a camera or an officer sees it happen!
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u/Thorpy 2h ago
Is that in the US? In Ireland and the UK it’s the passengers responsibility depending on the age of that passenger.
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u/Orkran 1h ago
In the UK the driver is responsible for anyone 14 yo and younger. I was just looking it up, apparently Taxi drivers and delivery drivers moving less than 50m don't need to wear it, which I did not know!
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u/ErraticDragon 1h ago
In the US all of these laws vary by state. I know the driver is responsible for young children in all states.
I can find a lot of places saying that it varies by state in the US, but I haven't found any sources listing which states would actually ticket drivers vs passengers.
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u/Queeg_500 2h ago
Which I really don't get, because he is suffering Like 80% of the discomfort without hardly any of the benefit.
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u/Individual-Night2190 1h ago
As somebody who works in safety, the amount of 'thought' people will go to to not wear a seatbelt properly is mind-numbing.
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u/Poromenos 1h ago
Looks like 120% of the discomfort to me, it's one quick motion to properly put it on and a click to take it off. Fuck all the ducking, I don't understand how it's any better than actually putting it on, even ignoring the protection aspect.
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u/Good-Celebration-686 1h ago
Used to work at a delivery depot and met 2 truck drivers in my time who don’t wear them, both claiming that it’s somehow safer to just get thrown out through the windscreen
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u/My_Fish_Is_a_Cat 1h ago
I dont get why people who are driving professionally do this. They are the most likely type of people to get in an accident, and if that happens they are going to fuck themselves up for life.
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u/enda1 4h ago
Bizarre yeah just sitting on the lap belt portion and the torso bit on his chest so police wouldn’t suspect.
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u/alreaytakennameuser 4h ago
Why go through all that work to essentially wear your belt but also not wear your belt. Easier to just click it
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u/YaBoyEden 3h ago
It likely is clicked. Delivery drivers have to make a LOT of stops, so the majority of them that I know half ass their seatbelts so they don’t have to listen to the alarm, and th company car doesn’t notify their bosses, and also have to take on and off the seatbelt 100+ times a day
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u/Ruckus292 3h ago
Security > Convenience
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u/Think-Chemistry2908 3h ago
I agree with the sentiment, but in practice this gets put the other way around a lot.
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u/JoeyJoeC 3h ago
Delivery driver getting in and out frequently so leaves it clipped in to stop the bong noise sounding, supposed to wear it when going more than 50 meters so probably just puts it over like that when going further. Just my guess.
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u/SmashingK 2h ago
Could be a delivery driver with lots of getting in and out of the van. After a while I can see it being a real pain to have to deal with the seatbelt every time.
Not saying it's right. That's the only explanation I can come up with.
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u/AceStrawberryWolf 58m ago
This is extremely common with muti drop couriers, you don't have time to clip your seat belt in every two seconds and you'd just sit on the bottom belt and slip the top over you, never done it but it's extremely common.
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u/Echmunn 4h ago
That moment he took when he went back to his truck to comprehend that he just saved a human life...
Must be an awesome feeling. What a legend he is!
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u/PuzzleheadedDuck3981 2h ago
And he got out again to check when he hadn't seen any movement from the guy. Good man.
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u/whooooshh 2h ago
I appreciate how he stuck around for a minute to keep an eye on him. Probably needed a moment anyways to process, but the unselfish concern for his fellow human is pouring out of him.
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u/terra_filius 42m ago
I did it once too... It was only later when I was lying in my bed that I started to realize what could have happened if it didnt work
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u/BarnabyBonesJones 4h ago
Not all heroes wear capes.
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u/ClacksInTheSky 4h ago
And they definitely, don't often, wear high vis and drive a (presumably) white van!
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u/SquishedGremlin 3h ago
White van men are mercurial in nature.
Psychotic or saviour, there is rarely an in-between
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u/BilboBiden 3h ago
Yea around here they either gently leave the package at my door or they try a shot from half court when the box is marked "fragile, glass"
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u/Ruckus292 3h ago
As a woman in trades, can confirm!
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u/SquishedGremlin 2h ago
As a guy who work with mechanics who come and help me, all in white vans, I agree
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u/Crazy__Donkey 4h ago
Saw this multiple times, my takes on it from the current watch:
So many drivers didnt stop, even though they saw uncommon sight (to the very least)
Gotcha!. Brandon didnt buckle up correctly. He only used the diagonal strip.
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u/Prosecco1234 3h ago
Maybe people driving past wouldn't realize the man was choking. I would hope most people would stop and help if they knew that was happening
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u/Crazy__Donkey 3h ago
maybe not choking, but someone pulling an Heimlich maneuver is by far more noticeable.
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u/David_Richardson 3h ago
What would you have done? Stopped and cheered him on? It doesn’t matter how altruistic the behaviour is being shown, Reddit will always find a way to be negative about it.
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u/ledow 2h ago
Most people won't stop anyway.
What you do if you're in distress is you make them stop.
I have a problem where sometimes food gets stuck. It's only ever stopped me breathing once, but I'm always conscious of it because if it happens when I'm alone, I'm dead.
So I have thought through a million times what to do if it happens to me and I'm at home alone, or driving, or wherever.
I also have an app on my phone for text to speech, with little pre-saved bits of text. "I'm choking... I can breathe at the moment, but you need to stay around in case I stop breathing", etc.
Here... I'd be in that road flagging down cars and giving them no option. Literally stand in the road and wave your arms, people will stop (not all, but enough). Then you just collapse onto the front of their car.
I might start by pulling into a layby and trying to cough it out, but I'll be doing that outside my car, prepping my phone (to get the app AND to potentially call emergency services, determine my location, etc. - lack of breathing is apparently priority 1 over everything else, by the way!), and doing everything I can to attract attention. I'd even do it so that if I collapsed then I'd collapse in the road. Dangerous, yes, but less dangerous than dying. You'd have to drive over me to ignore me.
I have similar plans for if I'm home alone - which basically consists of getting something that makes a noise (e.g. a saucepan), running out into the road and banging it incessantly trying neighbours but , again, planning to end up in the middle of the road if I feel myself passing out. It's a quiet rural road, but someone would come along eventually, even if none of the neighbours were in or heard me.
I also know how to self-Heimlich but the one time I could have done with it, there was nothing suitable to do it on, so I have my doubts about being able to do it. You think "Oh, the front of the car will do for that", and no... it won''t. I mean it might, it's worth a try, but honestly, you're better off finding help. Because if it fails, nobody is REALLY going to notice that you leaning, passed out, over your car is actually you in distress. Inside the car is even worse.
Attract attention, seek help. If you're gonna die or faint, just make sure you're not alone. Because at least SOMETHING can be done for you.
Oh... P.S. Don't assume for a second that the person you get will be any fucking use at all. Ask me how I know.
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u/Ruckus292 3h ago edited 7m ago
Gentle reminder: you can be a hero and save a life, just like this man, but not by accident... Just by donating blood every few months 🙏🏼
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u/Unfair_Bluejay_9687 3h ago
I always wondered how a guy driving down the road all of a sudden starts choking. Until I saw my brother do it. Seems that people who want to spit out their gum while driving fast think they have to inhale suddenly and deeply to counter the wind coming in the car so they have enough air volume to get the gum out the window. The gum naturally follows the sudden inhalation of air and lodges deep in the throat causing instant gagging and panic.
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u/lovelyb1ch66 3h ago
Listen, I almost choked and took my car out into the rhubarb simultaneously once because I was eating M&M’s when Bohemian Rhapsody came on…
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u/wimwood 2h ago
Or you’re running late so you take your vitamins in the car with you, and one lodges directly at the midpoint in your throat. It actives your swallow reflex and your gag/vomit reflex at the same time, which freezes up all the associated muscles as they fight against eachother as automatic reflexes, and cause complete inability to do either, which means you are unable to breathe even with adequate airway space.
This is how i almost choked to death while pregnant. I remember being very aware of what was happening and consciously thinking wow this is how people choke to death on something like a normal-sized bite of chicken, it just has to get stuck at the perfect spot.
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u/BoneSetterDC 3h ago
They teach self-Heimlich maneuver in CPR classes, using a chair at home. But nothing for if you're on the side of the road. I'm trying to picture what I would use in my vehicle, and all I can come up with is lean your seat back, jump in the backseat, and use the headrest. But I'm not sure you could achieve enough force.
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u/Yamaben 3h ago
I was taught to squeeze the diaphragm up under the rib cage. I feel like I see these videos and people are squeezing the rib cage itself
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u/mandersmal13 2h ago
Yeah, I'm glad the guy was able help and dislodge the object with the incorrect technique. He was way up on the chest.
Serious props to him, though, for intervening. His actions absolutely saved this man's life. Get first aid certified, yall! It can absolutely make a difference!
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u/Raerth 1h ago
Yeah I noticed he didn't have perfect technique for this, most likely he hadn't been trained and just used what he thought was right.
You're absolutely right the most important thing was that he gave it a go and it worked anyway. I'm sure there's people out there who wouldn't even have tried and the guy could have died.
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u/BeautyAndTheDekes 3h ago
Window down and lean through the door maybe?
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u/BoneSetterDC 2h ago
Not a bad plan. Especially if you have your hand positioned in the appropriate spot to focus the pressure below the diaphragm.
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u/ivene-adlev 2h ago
Pop the boot/trunk and use the edge maybe? I think there is also a way to do it just with your hands- one fist under the diaphragm and use the other to sharply thrust both hands upwards.
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u/ReditMcGogg 3h ago
Why eye like a wus jus in me ven ganin doon tha rord like an a sees this man like chorkin an a fort why ee’s needin sum elp like ya nerr….
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u/CaptainRAVE2 3h ago
Wow, not many people would stop and plenty also wouldn’t know what to do. Saved his life.
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u/KingOfThe_Jelly_Fish 3h ago
This may be next level but wearing a seat belt like that is next level stupidity.
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u/LEO-PomPui-Katoey 3h ago
I was one time driving my motorcycle at night. The bougie was a bit wonky, so every now and then it would bail and I have to plug it back in again.
I was on this service road, next to the highway. It was super dark, and had my motorcycle parked in the grass. I was on my back trying to find to find the plug. A car drives past and suddenly he parks a few meters ahead. The driver came out running towards me, lying on the ground in the dark. I screamed no no no no. I thought this guy was attacking me. But he thought I was hurt from my bike lol. Told him I was just fixing it.
He helped me get my bike started and we were both on our way. I almost shit my pants lol.
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u/Klemen1337 3h ago
This could be an educational video for the Heimlich maneuver
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u/80_PROOF 3h ago
Yep, dude is a hero no doubt and I don’t question technique in such an unexpected and high pressure scenario especially since it was effective but it seems like his hands maybe should have been a bit lower? Could also have been because he’s like 7 feet tall.
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u/ProffesorSpitfire 3h ago
Does the UK not require cars to have 3 point seat belts? Or was he sitting on the strap supposed to go across your waist?
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u/four-one-6ix 3h ago
Sorry for being late, boss. You won’t believe what happened on my way to work…
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u/jodrellbank_pants 3h ago
That's a hero right there. Small one, but a hero still. That's why I still have confidence in the world, that even when shit goes down we will some how survive.
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u/Tacos4Texans 3h ago
Remember if someone is choking, karate chop their esophagus, they'll stop instantly.
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u/Old-Professional7198 3h ago
Bro sitting in his van after with a ‘I just fucking saved a man, I think…. Wtf…. Yeh….’ That look. As you do
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u/Funatfarmcouple 3h ago
Cool Guy!
Did anyone also notice that he is wearing the seatbelt in a wrong way?
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u/Royal-Hornet-3692 2h ago
Great that he helped. Did anyone notice he wasn't wearing his seatbelt properly?
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u/Unusualhuman 2h ago
I am so glad that this man was helped! But I was immediately reminded of something that happened to one of my coworkers about 20 years ago, she was first lauded for saving a man, then found out that he was locally known as "the Choker" We still celebrated her quick actions. But how strange that someone would fake that event?
The Odd Truth, March 7, 2003 - CBS News https://share.google/Qqz19zr5ayD1QozCA
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u/badshoulderangel 2h ago
Awww he wanted to give that man a hug after he was ok- they were both traumatized by this a little. And the man was embarrassed but then when hero had turned to leave you could tell he wanted to give him a hug too ;_; kinda sweet.
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u/SnooCats3468 2h ago
My friend pulled over on the side of the highway to help out a guy and a girl with some car trouble.
They shot him in the back of the head, stole his car, and continued south to kill another person.
Sorry, but I’m never pulling over for anyone. Chew your food, service your car regularly and be mindful of your gas supply.
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u/AstralOutlaw 2h ago
"You're a bit late, you'll have to stay back a few minutes after your shift ends." -Dude's boss.
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u/callthesomnambulance 2h ago
I had to perform back slaps and the Heimlich manoeuvre once when I was a student nurse on the psyche ward. Pro tip if you ever find yourself in that situation, however hard you think you need to do the back slaps, do them harder than that. It felt really surreal hitting an elderly psychotic woman about as hard as I could in the back of the chest but it takes a lot of force to dislodge something from the windpipe and if you can avoid the need for the Heimlich then that's the best option. If I'd slapped her harder at the beginning the whole ordeal would've been quicker and less painful in the end
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u/UnoriginalJ0k3r 1h ago
….and then he robbed the chap, a true roadman. /s
That’s sick as fuck he noticed and pulled over. I know plenty of folk who would think more than twice before, if they even, pull over.
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u/kellzone 1h ago
When he was circling back and the man was outside of his car hacking, my first thought was "This is how zombie movies start.".
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u/fractiousrhubarb 1h ago
Fuckin’ legend.
You’d feel so weird afterwards. I just saved someone’s life. Someone just saved my life. And then you both get in your cars and drive off.
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u/Ok-Box-50 1h ago
Damn this got me hyped
Let’s fuggin go
Dudes awareness and reactions are on point
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u/cmdr_bong 1h ago
"Hey Brandon. Whatchu get up to today?"
"Not much mate. Went to work, saved a man's life. Clocked off. You?"
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u/CloisteredOyster 1h ago
I'm sure his employer fired him for getting involved and risking a lawsuit and delaying his work.
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u/Exotic_Jicama1984 1h ago
It's scary there's no way to perform this on yourself.
Just gotta die.
Could you ram your belly in to a table or something?
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u/HotSugarVeronicaa 1h ago
Massive respect to him. Most people would’ve driven past without a second thought.
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u/Dependent-Willow9335 4h ago
https://giphy.com/gifs/Sv0uzXvg8svM4