GREEN BAY (NBC 26) — A small suction device is making the difference between life and death in choking emergencies across the country, including right here in Wisconsin.
The LifeVac, invented by Arthur Lih, can clear a blocked airway in seconds using a simple three-step process: place it, push it, pull it. The device creates a burst of suction that removes obstructions from the throat.
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"We saved eight lives yesterday. We're coming up on 3,000 beautiful children and 5,000 lives," Lih said.
Lih developed the device after learning that a 7-year-old child choked to death inside a hospital, realizing that even the Heimlich maneuver can fail in critical moments.
"The average response time in the U.S. is seven minutes. Your child's dead," Lih said.
Last year in Appleton, Jim Kampo was choking on a sandwich at his home when traditional methods failed to help.
"All I remember standing over the kitchen sink trying to get it loose and I couldn't. That's the last thing I remember," Kampo said.
His wife, Nancy, called 911, then grabbed the LifeVac they kept in their bathroom. She had tried the Heimlich maneuver three times without success.
"He was turning blue. I tried the Heimlich three times, and I wasn't strong enough," Nancy Kampo said. "I don't believe he would be here if I didn't have it because the Heimlich didn't work. Having that, to me, is what saved him."
In Greenville, Todd Meisner faced every parent's nightmare when his 18-month-old daughter Noelle was choking.
"She was flailing around, doing a guppy face, trying to breathe," Meisner said. "I laid her on her back and one pull of the LifeVac I got the oranges out of her mouth and she started breathing again."
Meisner, who serves as deputy fire chief for the Appleton International Airport Fire Department, helped get LifeVac devices installed in every response vehicle and in the Greenville Fire Department's medical bags.
The device has gained acceptance across multiple states, where it's now standard equipment in police vehicles, school cafeterias, and every Costco location nationwide.
For Lih, the invention represents more than an invention; it's a mission.
"We will save a life from this, I promise," Lih said.
Important safety information
The LifeVac is not approved by the FDA and has not been endorsed by the Red Cross. The Red Cross recommends attempting the Heimlich maneuver first when someone is choking.
Officials at LifeVac claim the device has saved nearly 5,000 lives, with more rescues happening daily. The company continues to document rescue videos that show the device's effectiveness in emergency situations.
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