A Weatherly police officer is credited with saving a woman choking victim who had a piece of food lodged in her airway, making it difficult for her to breathe.

Weatherly Council on Monday said Officer Michael Eyer was dispatched Saturday by the Carbon County Communications Center to a residence in the borough.

They said the officer responded promptly, knowing emergency medical services personnel from agencies from neighboring towns would require time to get to the site.

Police said in a release, Choking can be a matter of seconds before it becomes life threatening.”

The release said the officer was immediately begin giving the woman several blows with the palm of his hand to her mid-upper back.

They said the woman took a much relieved deep breath and was able to tell the officer she felt the obstruction clear from her airway.

“Our officers are trained to handle all sorts of emergencies no matter the situation,” the press release said.

“Not having an EMS unit in the borough means the police department can often be the first line of contact and relay information to responding medical teams, or, as in this case, take quick action and prevent a situation from going from bad to worse and potentially saving a life.”