On September 7, inside a shopping mall in Chongqing, a girl drinking bubble tea accidentally sucked a tapioca pearl into her airway, causing a complete blockage. She quickly developed breathing difficulties, turned blue in the face, became limp, and was on the verge of suffocation.

In that critical moment, multiple bystanders immediately rushed to help, taking turns performing the Heimlich manoeuvre.

Because the girl was tall and gradually lost responsiveness, even becoming unable to stand, it was difficult to apply the standard standing abdominal thrusts. Fortunately, after nearly four minutes of continuous efforts, she finally expelled the obstruction and was out of danger.

The incident highlighted both the importance and growing public awareness of the Heimlich manoeuvre, as the bystanders’ quick reactions and teamwork saved the girl within the “golden four minutes” (the critical time window before irreversible brain damage occurs). However, it also exposed issues such as nervousness and incorrect technique among some rescuers, which affected the effectiveness of the intervention.

The Heimlich manoeuvre (abdominal thrusts) is designed to treat choking from complete airway obstruction in conscious children or adults. In this case, because the girl was becoming unresponsive, traditional methods were difficult to apply. At such times, CPR (continuous chest compressions) may be more effective, as the chest pressure can force air out of the lungs and expel the obstruction.