NJ hero employee saves a life at Rutgers

It turns out not all heroes wear capes. Some of them wear Rutgers dining services uniforms. On Saturday, Feb. 4 at Livingston dining hall a loud commotion erupted. A student was yelling "help, help my friend is choking." Students were looking on and showing concern but weren’t helping.

Out of nowhere, Halil Bektas, who works in the beverage department, went to her and performed the Heimlich maneuver. Four thrusts to the upper abdomen and three whole pieces of cucumber came flying out.

Some think about what they can do and then there are people who just react without thinking.

Thanks to Halil, the student will be able to continue her journey at Rutgers.

The student's name is Melanie and she is a freshman from Waldwick. Melanie and her family are eternally grateful for Halil's quick action and successful outcome.

She is a lifeguard and certified in CPR. After this episode Melanie is convinced, more people need to be trained in life-saving procedures.

It's probably a good bet that Rutger's food service employees like Halil are trained in procedures like the Heimlich maneuver. It's been a couple of tough weeks for Mr. Bektas who is from Turkey.

The country was hit by a devastating earthquake last week and has suffered heavy casualties. We wish the best for his family members back home.

Halil has been working at Rutgers for twelve years. He is a hard-working family man with two children. A big thank you and job well done to Halil Bektas!

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Dennis Malloy only.

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