Right place, right time
Lewistown Borough employee helps save lifeBy MARJORIE STROMBERG, Sentinel reporter, mstromberg@lewistownsentinel.com
Article Photos
LEWISTOWN - An early morning routine took a drastic turn that impacted both lives of a Lewistown Borough recycling employee and a local resident.
Dale Searer, of Strodes Mills, was emptying Lattimore Griffith's recycling bin around 7 a.m. on June 30 in Lewistown when he looked down the driveway and saw Griffith signal to him.
Griffith said he was eating a slice of roast beef inside his home when a piece became stuck above his windpipe.
"I was struggling around to get it moved," Griffith said. "I was starting to lose my sensibility"
As Griffith began to lose air, he came out of his house to see Searer, who quickly headed toward Griffith.
"He motioned me back. When I walked back (down the driveway) he put his arms in the air and was hitting his chest," Searer said. "I thought he was choking on something."
When Searer got to Griffith, Griffith backed into him, motioning for him to do the Heimlich maneuver. Searer attempted to dislodge food, but the method did not work, Searer said. He then called 911 and stayed with Griffith until the ambulance arrived.
"He stayed with me and talked to me," Griffith said.
The lodged food later was removed in a lab at Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, Griffith said.
Searer said the ambulance responded quickly, and he was thankful for that.
"It's just good that he did what he could and stayed with (Griffith)," said Tony Grose, superintendent of Lewistown Borough Refuse and Recycling.
Searer was relieved that he and his driver, Stanley Ehrisman of Mifflintown, were at Griffith's residence when the incident occurred. Had they not been there, he doesn't know what would have happened to Griffith, he said.
"I was just glad I was able to help out," he said.
Since the incident, Searer has become more aware of his surroundings.
"I just try and pay attention, look at everything around," he said. "I just like helping people too, when I can."
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cu2
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07-12-08 3:05 PM
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The guy was choking on a piece of lodged food and he survived a trip all the way to Danville????? What the h*el* was wrong with taking him to Lewistown Hospital?
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Kendra
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07-12-08 11:02 AM
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There's too many people that don't want to get involved, but a lot of the time involvement is for the better.
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beknjen
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07-12-08 9:36 AM
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Way to go Dale! God Bless you!
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