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ORU student saves young woman from choking; form unbreakable friendship

Posted at 6:58 PM, Jan 25, 2017
and last updated 2017-01-25 19:58:04-05

A moment of panic unfolds at Whole Foods grocery store after an Oral Roberts University student begins to choke, desperate for help.

Now, the dramatic rescue has bonded two strangers with an unbreakable friendship.

"Everyone like cheered... they were like, 'yeah!," Mason Miles, an ORU Junior said.

It's somewhat of an unlikely friendship. The two strangers, who both attend ORU, have crossed paths throughout the school year, not knowing that some day, they'd actually meet -- in a moment of pure terror.

"Panic, complete panic," Miles said.

It began with a casual dinner at Whole Foods. Miles was enjoying her food, chatting with a friend.

"All of a sudden, I like couldn't breathe," Miles said. "I was choking... this is the natural sign, you're supposed to do this, like whenever you're choking so," Miles said as she put her hands around her throat, mimicking the sign of choking.

A pot sticker, lodged into the back of Miles throat, and an onlooker took notice.

"Oh my gosh, I think that girl is choking," Antonio Guajardo, an ORU Freshman said. "I look over and you could definitely tell she was choking."

Guajardo watched as Miles' face went red. In an instant, he knew what to do.

"I just ran up, and then i did like two [maneuvers], and then on the second one it came up and she was like, 'I'm good,'" Guajardo said.

"He goes, 'I know the Heimlich I think,' and so he did the Heimlich... pot stickers going flying and I could breathe again," Miles said.

In less than 24 hours, a moment of panic has turned into a bond of friendship.

"The Lord had us and knew he was in the right place, and he knew the Heimlich," Miles said of Guajardo. "No one else knew what they were doing."

Guajardo said he feels the same way, and had just one piece of advice for his new friend.

"I was like, chew a little slower next time."

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