US senator saves colleague from choking, accidentally cracks her rib

US Senators Claire McCaskill (third from left) and Joe Manchin (second from right) listen during a news conference February 15, 2018 at the Capitol in Washington, DC. McCaskill on Monday thanked Manchin for saving her from choking last week. Alex Wong/Getty Images North America/AFP

WASHINGTON — US Senator Claire McCaskill said Monday she suffered a cracked rib when a fellow lawmaker who noticed her choking rushed to the rescue and performed the Heimlich maneuver on her.

During a luncheon of Senate Democrats on Thursday, Senator Joe Manchin jumped from his seat to help his colleague, dislodging the blockage in McCaskill's throat but accidentally injuring her in the process.

McCaskill, who represents Missouri, thanked the senior West Virginia senator on Twitter.

"And a sore rib for a few weeks is no big deal. I play hurt," she added. "The work goes on."

My thanks to @Sen_JoeManchin. And a sore rib for a few weeks is no big deal. I play hurt. The work goes on. https://t.co/rBb0gBq32F

— Claire McCaskill (@clairecmc) June 25, 2018

McCaskill, 64, and Manchin, 70 are two of the most vulnerable Senate Democrats up for re-election in November.

The St. Louis Post Dispatch reported that McCaskill told attendees at a NAACP dinner in the Missouri city late last week that she would not be hugging people at the event, after Manchin's action injured her rib.

Henry Heimlich, a thoracic surgeon who had seen people choke—and some die—in restaurants, developed his eponymous maneuver in 1974 but was only able to perform it himself for the first time at the age of 96 in 2016. He died later that year.

The technique, performed by standing behind the choking victim and using one's hands to apply pressure to the lower diaphragm, is believed to have saved tens of thousands of lives, including former US president Ronald Reagan and Hollywood icon Elizabeth Taylor. — Agence France-Presse