Friday night, dinner time. The 72-year-old Corné Floresse and his wife Monique (72) from Etten-Leur sit together at the table with homemade fries. But then things go wrong: a piece of frikandel gets stuck in Monique’s throat and she can’t breathe anymore. In a panic, Corné calls the emergency services, but due to all the storm reports, the lines are overloaded and he can’t get hold of anyone.
“Monique choked and then the piece of frikandel got stuck in her throat,” says Corné, shocked. “She couldn’t breathe and before I knew it, she passed out. It was horrible, she just completely collapsed.”
Fortunately, Corné knew how to do the Heimlich grab. “I grabbed her and tried to clear her airway. But it didn’t seem to help. She remained unconscious and did not regain consciousness.”
The 72-year-old Corné quickly called 112. “But that didn’t work. I couldn’t get hold of anyone. Then I called the general practitioner, but nobody answered there either and I got a tape. Then I really thought, it’s done. I gonna lose my wife.”
Fortunately, Corné then saw how his Monique was slowly coming around. The piece of frikandel had come loose from her throat. “She is now doing well, although she is still a bit off the map because of what happened. That I immediately intervened, that really saved her.”
He is still outraged that he could not reach anyone at the emergency services. “In a life-threatening situation you just have to get someone on the phone. I think there should be more phone lines available, because this could have gone completely wrong.”
Due to the many reports as a result of storm Eunice, the emergency number 112 was overloaded on Friday. The police called on the emergency number to be called only in life-threatening situations.