NEED TO KNOW
- A teenage restaurant employee is being hailed as a “hero” after footage was released of her saving a choking customer
- Madison Brydels was seen calmly and quickly jumping into action to save a man dining at Budatan, a restaurant in Louisiana
- The restaurant posted the now-viral security footage of the encounter on Facebook
A Louisiana teen’s quick thinking had a lifesaving outcome.
High school student and restaurant worker Madison Brydels promptly acted when a customer was choking, and the encounter was caught on video.
In the viral clip, Brydels is seen hanging up Halloween decorations at Budatan, a restaurant in Moss Bluff, La., when a man stood up out of his seat, gesturing that he was choking. Without missing a beat, the teen jumped into action, performing the Heimlich maneuver and patting the customer on the back before the man sat back down.
“I didn’t even think at all,” she told local news network KPLC about the incident. “I rushed over to him and I gave him the Heimlich maneuver, and right after that, I patted his back and went to the back and finished my shift.”
The Asian restaurant posted security footage of the heroic moment on Friday, Oct. 3. The viral post described, “We are beyond proud of Madison for showing such bravery and calmness in such a stressful moment. This shows that heroes can be found everywhere—even right here in our community and even among our youth.”
Facebook users commented on the post, praising the “hero” teenager for the calm way she responded and then walked away “like a boss.”
One person wrote that she was dining at the restaurant that night and complimented Brydels, writing, “As an adult, I don’t believe my react time would have even been that on point!!!” Another wrote, “I have seen seasoned nurses panick with lesser issues presented. Madison you are amazing and deserve a reward.”
