A Yokota Airman Saves the Life of a Teenage Girl

  • Published
  • By Naoko Kurokui, JP Civilian
  • 374 AW/PA
YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan --  At about 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 12, Technical Sgt. Vicente La Luz, 374th Maintenance Squadron, was waiting in line at the Aeon Mall (Diamond City) Food Court, in Musashimurayama City, when a nearby woman became very upset.

TSgt. La Luz's wife, Janine, first noticed the woman, who by then was nearly fainting. She then noticed that the woman's daughter, a girl of maybe 12 or 13, was choking. Janine immediately called for her husband to help.

When TSgt. La Luz got through the crowd, he found the girl, who by then was very pale. Her mother was in hysterics and violently shaking nearby. TSgt La Luz tried a Heimlich thrust twice from behind the chair, but could not get his footing. He then lifted the girl to turn her in the chair. At that time, the girl went unconscious. "After three more thrusts, someone motioned me to stop," he said. The girl had coughed up a large piece of meat and started to wheeze, then breathe slowly.

Over the next few minutes the girl sat up on her own and then looked around. A fire dept crew showed up soon after, followed by paramedics. If TSgt. La Luz had not helped, the girl would have been without air for about five minutes. He provided his name and a brief statement that the girl had been unconscious for maybe 30 seconds. On Monday, Dec. 17, an Aeon mall representative called to tell him that the mother and daughter were both doing well.