Emergency Workers Honored for Rescue in Texas
A woman who nearly choked to death last month at her north Arlington home thanked the nine emergency response personnel Thursday who saved her life.
Linda Burdine, second from right, and her daughter Stacy Denard talk with paramedic Jim Fritz, right, and firefighter Dale Alexander at a recognition ceremony Thursday.
A woman who nearly choked to death last month at her north Arlington home thanked the nine emergency response personnel Thursday who saved her life.
Linda Burdine, 59, was eating roast beef for lunch July 6 when a piece of meat lodged in her throat, blocking her airway. Her daughter, Stacy Denard, 38, tried the Heimlich maneuver and CPR but called 911 when those measures failed.
"It was horrifying. I tried everything to get her breathing," Denard said.
Arlington emergency personnel found Burdine unconscious on her dining room floor. Paramedic Lonnie Ballenger removed the meat with forceps while other workers helped her begin breathing again and then took her to a hospital.
At a ceremony Thursday, the rescuers met Burdine and were recognized by the Arlington Fire Department. Denard thanked them for saving her mother's life.
"You guys were a godsend," she said.
The emergency response personnel recognized were Dale Alexander, Lonnie Ballenger, James Chadwick, David Culhane, Tim Fortner, Jim Fritz, Ronnie Marks, Robert Sells and Vernon Wickliffe.
Distributed by the Associated Press
