HAMPTON BEACH, NH — New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu came to the aid of a contestant who was choking on a lobster roll at a seafood festival eating contest, using the Heimlich maneuver after the man signaled for help.
The contestant, Christian Moreno, recovered and resumed eating at the on-stage competition on Sunday.
Moreno was one of six contestants in the Hampton Beach Seafood Festival competition. They had 10 minutes to eat as many lobster rolls as they could. The New England sandwich is traditionally filled with lobster, celery and mayonnaise and served on a hot dog-like bun.
“I’m shooting for at least 20,” Moreno, of Nashua, said in a video account before the contest began, saying he studied competitive eater Joey Chestnut from the Hot Dog Eating Contest.
Moreno was at the end of a long table, near where Sununu watched from the side of the stage after speaking to the audience a little earlier.
Standing, Moreno had downed about two lobster rolls when he began choking and tapping his chest, video showed. Sununu rushed out a short time later, put his arms around Moreno and started abdominal punches. He said he received four or five compressions before first responders took over and helped remove the food.
“I’m just glad I paid attention in my high school health class,” the Republican governor said in a statement Monday. His office said it was the first time he performed the Heimlich maneuver.
Moreno, who was not wearing his glasses, was unaware that it was the governor who had helped save him.
“My counter came up to me and, like, made a joke. And was like, ‘Oh, like, I bet nobody else can say they’ve had the Heimlich from the governor before.’ And I looked at him, that was just like it was the governor?” Moreno told WMUR-TV.
Moreno recovered and returned to competition. He didn’t win, but he ate a total of nine lobster rolls.