Waiter being called a hero for saving a customer's life from choking on his food

Cable News Network reports from Atlanta Georgia. A waiter is being called a hero with saving a customer's life when the customer began choking in an Atlanta restaurant and surveillance video caught the incident on tape.

A customer eating a quesada from Verde Taqueria who had trouble breathing after he ate a big chunk of a quesada and it got stuck in his windpipe.

The custome's name is Paul Hargette who was choking on a quesada said "I think I just took a really big bite and forgot to chew. It was a pretty surreal moment. I've never had the Heimlich manuver performed on me before."

Verde Taqueria waiter Matthew McConnell was putting in orders when the commotion started.

McConnell said "It was a good size piece of steak and cheese. The situation was more dire than I hoped. He was choking on a black and blue quesadilla."

Customers tried to help Hargette by hitting on the back and Hargette's girlfriend tried to use the Heimlich manuever on her boyfriend but failed. Customers outside the restaurant looked on in horror as Hargette struggled to breathe.

Hargette said "Matt comes and saves the day."

After Hargette watched the videotape of himself he said "It is a lot more embarassing watching now then when it happened."

After Hargette tried to wash the quesadilla down with water, the quesadilla was too big and it went up his throat instead.

Hargette said "It is pretty scary watching it now. I didn't realize how close I was to choking to death."

McConell said " You want to do the Heimlich manuever with enough force to lift them off their feet."

McConnell credits the training he got from Verde Taqueria for saving Hargette's life.

McConell said "Hero might be a little of an exaggeration but I think anyone would have stepped in and done the same thing."

Hargette said "He is a definitely a hero and if I wasn't a broke college student we probably would have tipped him a lot more than we did." McConnell said the tip he received was just fine. Saving a man's life is priceless.