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‘He didn’t hesitate at all’: Bartender at The Ground Round performs Heimlich on choking customer
“He looked up from the dishwasher, saw the guy, and just jumped right over.”
A bartender at The Ground Round in Shrewsbury performed the Heimlich maneuver on a choking customer Wednesday, prompting praise from coworkers and community members.
Justin Goodney was emptying the restaurant’s dishwasher when a nearby patron began choking, Ground Round co-owner Nachi Shea said. A woman next to the choking man looked around for help, and Goodney sprung into action.
Without wasting a second, Goodney “jumped over the bar” and gave the man the Heimlich, clearing his airways, Shea said.
“[Justin] didn’t hesitate at all,” Shea said. “He looked up from the dishwasher, saw the guy, and just jumped right over.”
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Goodney has worked at The Ground Round since its opening three months ago and was one of its “first hires” before it even opened, Shea said.
“A lot of us are certified and trained,” Shea said. “But I think a lot of times we just assume it’s never going to happen, so I’m glad that when it did, he was ready.”
Shea said Goodney credits his quick actions to his mother, who is a nurse, as he “grew up” watching her teach CPR classes.
Supporters and “admirers” have flocked to the restaurant to praise Goodney’s actions. Shea said a local restaurant group visited on Monday to give him a gift certificate.
As for Goodney, he simply did what he believed anyone else in the situation would do.
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“He was saying over and over, ‘Anybody else would have done the same,’” Shea said. “But it was a bar full of people, and he was the one that did it, so I think that speaks a lot.”
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