Don Willett, President Trump’s nominee to serve on the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and a Texas Supreme Court justice, reportedly jumped in to help a man choking on a gluten-free bun at an Austin, Texas, Chick-fil-A on Tuesday.
Willett told the Austin American-Statesman he was working on his laptop, “munching some Chick-fil-A chicken strips” and talking with his wife on his cellphone about errands when he noticed another customer start performing the Heimlich maneuver on a man who was eating with his daughter.
The man, identified as Danny Martinez, 53, said he choked on a gluten-free bun that was “kind of dry.”
Martinez, a Boy Scout leader, made eye contact with Herson De La Garza, an Austin middle school teacher who was in the restaurant, and indicated he needed assistance.
De La Garza began working to dislodge the bun from Martinez’s throat, but the man was still choking after “three or four upward abdominal thrusts,” Willett said.
“I hung up on my wife (first time in 21 years!) and jumped up,” the Texas Supreme Court justice told the American-Statesman. “Herson stepped side, and I gave a quick thrust or two, dislodging the nugget and clearing the airway.”
Willett praised De La Garza for his actions and said he plans to write a letter to the superintendent of De La Garza’s school district telling him of the teacher’s heroism. The judge also said the incident reminded him of the value of life.
“I squeezed my wife and three wee Willetts a little tighter (that night), and we prayed for this man’s dear family,” he said. “Life is precious — and fleeting.”
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Trump judicial nominee helps choking man at Austin Chick-fil-A https://t.co/IfMQOjRMwi pic.twitter.com/bmKeTfRBJa
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) November 30, 2017
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