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Carmen's Founder's Near-Death Steak Choking Ordeal
12 Jan
Summary
- Carmen's founder choked on steak during a dinner party a year ago.
- Husband and guests performed CPR, saving her life before paramedics arrived.
- She suffered a head wound, concussion, broken ribs, and fractured sternum.
Carolyn Creswell, the 52-year-old founder of the popular food brand Carmen's, recently recounted a terrifying near-death experience that occurred a year ago. While hosting a dinner party at her farm in Victoria's Gippsland region with her husband Pete, Creswell choked on a piece of steak. She lost consciousness and fell, sustaining a head injury.
Her husband Pete and other guests immediately attempted to dislodge the steak, performing CPR and the Heimlich maneuver. Emergency services were called, and paramedics arrived approximately 30 minutes later, successfully removing the obstruction with forceps. Creswell was airlifted to Melbourne's Alfred Hospital, where she received treatment for a concussion, nine stitches for her head wound, broken ribs from the CPR, and a fractured sternum.
Now fully recovered, Creswell expressed profound gratitude to her husband, friends, and the medical professionals who saved her life. She highlighted the importance of life-saving training and urged others to chew their food thoroughly to prevent similar incidents. Her business, Carmen's, founded at age 18, is now valued at over $170 million.
