Humble Acworth officer credits 'God' for saving choking senior on New Year’s Day

Acworth officers rushes to save senior choking

A quick-thinking police officer is being credited with saving a senior citizen's life after performing life-saving measures on a choking resident at the North Star Square Assisted Living Facility in Acworth.

ACWORTH, Ga. - A quick-thinking police officer is being credited with saving a senior citizen's life after performing life-saving measures on a choking resident at the North Star Square Assisted Living Facility in Acworth.

What we know:

Bodycam video shows the heart-stopping moments. Acworth Police Officer Anthony Salone gets a call.

"An elderly patient who had been choking," Salone said.

A resident at a senior center can’t breathe. "She had turned blue, and CPR had been started," Salone said.

It happened on New Year’s Day at the North Star Square Assisted Living Facility. Salone hustles to the back of his SUV, grabs an anti-choking device, and hurries in.

Acworth Police Officer Anthony Salone uses a LifeVac suction device to save a choking senior’s life at the North Star Square Assisted Living Facility on New Year’s Day. (Acworth Police Department)

The officer pulls out a LifeVac pump and goes to work. "I immediately thought that we need to clear this airway," Salone said.

What they're saying:

In life-and-death moments like these, seconds count. "If they’re without oxygen for four to six minutes, you could have irreversible brain damage," Salone said.

When asked if the woman was in danger of dying, Salone said, "Oh, absolutely."

The pump clears the woman’s throat. Medical teams arrive and take over. When asked if he saved a life, Salone responded, "God did."

Salone is humble about his heroism. "Very fortunate that I was able to be there at the right place, at the right time. God sent me there to do His work, and I’m just glad she’s able to spend more time with her family."

Officer Anthony Salone demonstrates the LifeVac anti-choking device at the Acworth Police Department today to show how the tool effectively clears obstructed airways. (FOX 5)

Navion Senior Solutions, the facility’s parent company, sent this statement: "We are grateful for the quick response of Officer Salone during a medical emergency at our community. We believe both our senior living team members and first responders are everyday heroes."

The Acworth Police Department says this is the third time, over the last couple of years, one of their officers has used the LifeVac to rescue a choking victim.

Salone says he was just doing his job.