SUFFOLK, Va. (WAVY)– On July 12th, Parker Doleman and his wife went to dinner at Decoy’s Seafood in North Suffolk. Doleman is one of the youngest firefighters with the city of Suffolk.
While waiting for a table, Doleman says one of the workers pointed out a man choking across the restaurant.
He says his hands were around his neck, and he couldn’t talk or breathe. As the man began to turn blue, Doleman says his instincts kicked in and in seconds he was performing the Heimlich maneuver.
He was able to help dislodge the food that was obstructing the man’s airways and he was able to breathe again.
Officials say Doleman’s quick and decisive actions undoubtedly saved the man’s life. However, Doleman says he’s no hero.
“I would not agree. There’s a lot of people here who if you say I’m a hero then everybody I work with are heroes also. Everything we do is to help everyone else. We’re just doing our part and doing what we love,” said Doleman.
The man who he helped didn’t want to go on camera but said he was extremely grateful. Parker says the patron picked up his tab and bought him and his wife some drinks that evening as a thank you.
“It could have ended very differently. Yes ma’am, it was God’s timing,” said Doleman.
Fire officials say Parker is on a roll, as he also recently saved a kitten trapped near a truck engine too.
