Nesconset, N.Y. – September 22, 2026 -- LifeVac, maker of an FDA-authorized anti-choking suction device, announced it has now saved 4,000 children from choking emergencies, following the rescue of a 3-year-old boy who stopped breathing while eating sausage at breakfast.

A toddler's airway closed completely despite standard first aid

The boy's mother first watched him try to cough up the food himself, but he went silent as the obstruction worsened. Basic Life Support choking protocols, including the Heimlich maneuver, failed to clear his airway.

A three-year-old device stored in a diaper bag became the last resort

The child's father retrieved the family's LifeVac Home Kit, which had sat unused in their diaper bag for nearly three years. Placed on the ground, the boy received the pediatric mask attachment three times; the third attempt dislodged the remaining piece of sausage and he began breathing again.

Emergency responders were still minutes away when the airway cleared

The family had already called 911, but responders were reported to be at least 10 minutes out, with the nearest hospital roughly 15 minutes away. By the time EMS arrived, the obstruction was gone, and personnel found no complications. Hours later, the boy was reported to be running, playing, and laughing again.

"The device saved my son's life," his mother said. "I had already done the Heimlich maneuver but was unsuccessful."

LifeVac frames the 4,000-child milestone as a call to keep going

Arthur Lih, LifeVac's inventor and CEO, said the company needs to "keep going to eliminate these senseless deaths" now that 4,000 families have avoided a choking tragedy. LifeVac is registered with the FDA, the UK's MHRA, and Australia's ARTG, and the device is intended as a second-line treatment when standard choking protocols fail on a victim with a complete airway obstruction.