A Wayland woman saved a life Wednesday afternoon at a United Church of Wayland luncheon after the funeral of Lois “Louie” Edwards.
Yvonne Pardee came to the rescue of a lady, Sandra, in need when she began choking. Several in the large audience said Yvonne jumped into action and performed the Heimlich maneuver, dislodging the food from Sandra’s airway.
Wayland Police Chief Mark Garnsey said city officers arrived soon afterward and met Sandra, who was now breathing on her own. Wayland EMS personnel arrived and checked Sandra further and verified she was in good condition.
“I spoke to Sandra at the table, and after things settled down we had a couple of laughs, and were glad she was okay,” Garnsey said.
Yvonne is currently certified in First Aid/CPR.
“We at the Wayland Police Department strongly encourage citizens to seek out life saving training. A few hours of training, and you too could save a life someday!
“Oh, and when I say Andrew was proud of his wife, that’s an understatement. Someone in the crowd said, that Yvonne had just saved a lady’s life, when suddenly we heard a yell from Andrew stating, ‘THAT’S MY WIFE!’”
