A woman has thanked two nurses who came to her aid and saved her life after she choked while out for an early Mother's Day lunch in Ipswich.
Tina Woollard lives in Reading but was in Suffolk over the weekend celebrating with family.
The 54-year-old, a wheelchair user with chronic fibromyalgia and osteoarthritis, was having lunch at the Royal George pub in Colchester Road in Ipswich on Saturday lunchtime.
She said: "We ordered our starts, and upon taking a mouthful, found that I could not swallow it.
"For many minutes I was suffocating, panicking and scared, with my twin sister and my husband slapping my back to help dislodge the obstructing food.
"After what felt to me to be an age, I was still choking to death."
Her twin shouted out to the restaurant for help, at which point, a healthcare worker and her lunch partner, both believed to be HCA's Health Care Assistants, came to her aid.
Mrs Woollard continued: "I simply wish to express how I truly feel, the two ladies who came to my rescue, one of them whom literally saved my life, I will be eternally grateful.
"They carried out the Heimlich manoeuvre four or five times and the offending food was dislodged.
"I could breathe again but was still scared and the two ladies stayed with me, to ensure I was ok. They helped me with my breathing which was rapid and making sure I was ok before they went back to their table.
"Thank you from the bottom of my heart."
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