Expand / Collapse search
Watch TV
Menu

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. ©2024 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Market data provided by Factset. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Legal Statement. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper.

Travel Safety

Alaska airport TSA officer praised by family after saving choking daughter: 'God bless you'

By Michael Bartiromo Fox News
Published
close
Fox News Flash top headlines for Sept. 18 Video

Fox News Flash top headlines for Sept. 18

Fox News Flash top headlines for Sept. 18 are here. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com

A quick-thinking TSA officer in Alaska is being credited with saving a special-needs passenger from choking at the Juneau International Airport.

On Wednesday, Brenda Irizarry, the lead transportation security officer with the airport, was on-duty near the departures lounge when colleague Jessie Ashton flagged her down to aid with the emergency. Irizarry rushed over and performed the Heimlich maneuver, ultimately dislodging a grape from the woman’s windpipe. Ashton, meanwhile, had contacted paramedics.

Brenda Irizarry, the lead transportation security officer with the airport, rushed over to perform the Heimlich on the 26-year-old passenger.

Brenda Irizarry, the lead transportation security officer with the airport, rushed over to perform the Heimlich on the 26-year-old passenger. (TSA)

SEE IT: YOUNG MAN TRIES DISGUISING HIMSELF AS 81-YEAR-OLD TO GET THROUGH SECURITY

“Brenda’s quick action saved [my daughter] from certain hospitalization while waiting at Alaska Airlines,” the woman’s father stated in a note shared by the TSA.

“[My daughter] had swallowed a large grape and was choking; another waiting passenger ran to TSA for help. Brenda, after several attempts using the Heimlich Maneuver, got the grape to pop out to the floor of the terminal," he continued. "God bless you, Brenda, thank you."

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS

The passenger and her family were reportedly on their way to a wedding in California, according to the Juneau Empire. The group was able to continue on with their journey after the incident.

A fellow security official has since praised both Irizarry and Ashton, calling their actions “heroic.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“In this short period of time, I’ve had the privilege of working shoulder to shoulder with many heroes who have gone far beyond the call of duty to assist the public during a critical time of need,” said Alaska Assistant Federal Security Director Dave McDermott. “I am extremely proud of Irizarry’s life-saving actions and Ashton’s leadership by keeping her cool in the face of a medical emergency; your actions are a testament to TSA and all of Team Alaska.”