Governor Helps Save Man Choking in Eating Contest

Gov. Chris Sununu was doing typical politician duty on Sunday—attending the Hampton Beach Lobster Roll Eating Competition—when he noticed that one of the six contestants was struggling. "He was having trouble getting something down," New Hampshire's governor said later, WMUR reports. Christian Moreno began signaling distress by tapping on his chest. "I started saying, 'He's choking, he's choking,' and I could tell people weren't responding," Sununu said. "So I just moved forward and immediately started to kind of give him the Heimlich."

Sununu stepped in, giving Moreno four or five compressions before first responders took over and the piece of lobster stuck in his windpipe came free. Moreno said it was his first eating competition, and Sununu said it was his first Heimlich maneuver. "I'm just glad I paid attention in my high school health class," the governor said, per CBS News.

Moreno had come into the competition with a plan for the contest, which involved eating as many lobster rolls as possible in 10 minutes. "I'm shooting for at least 20," he said in a pregame video. He choked before reaching No. 3. The New England sandwich comes stuffed with lobster, celery and mayonnaise on a hot dog-style bun. He said he'd studied the technique of Joey Chestnut, a champion eater of hot dogs. Moreno, of Nashua, said he'll be back next year. (More Chris Sununu stories.)