Rockville Centre mayor saves choking woman at the Links

Mayor Francis X. Murray’s decades of training with the Rockville Centre Fire Department helped save a life at the Rockville Links Club on Wednesday evening.

While Murray was eating dinner there, he saw a woman choking a few feet away at the table next to him. Her husband unsuccessfully tried the Heimlich maneuver on her. Murray then stepped in, asked the man to move aside and performed the Heimlich, dislodging a piece of meat from the woman’s throat. In 30 seconds, she was breathing again.

“I always brag about the Rockville Centre Fire Department, and I’m blessed to be a member there,” said Murray, who has been a part of Floodlight Company No. 1 for more than 40 years. “We’re highly trained for situations like this — it’s not just me, it’s second nature for all of us. I’m no hero. We’re happy to help.”

Nassau County Executive Laura Curran witnessed the save. She later tweeted, “#WednesdayMotivation Tonight while at Rockville Links for dinner, I saw #RockvilleCentre Mayor Fran Murray perform the Heimlich maneuver on a fellow diner in distress. A firefighter/1st responder, he knew exactly what to do and she was OK. Great job Mayor Murray!”