(Pictured from L-R Mike McCallan, Phil Fogarty, Adam Silveira, Mike Hrycin, Chris Kelly)

It was a date night that could have ended in disaster, but thanks to a pair of fast-acting National Grid employees, a Westport man had his life saved by them.

Last November, 68-year-old Reed Austin and his fiancée were enjoying a meal in the cozy tavern of Bittersweet Farm Restaurant.

“It was strange. This could have ended badly, but thanks to Mike (Hrycin) and Adam (Silveira) acting so calmly, I just knew I was going to be ok,” said Austin.

Reed was in the midst of his meal, when something got caught in his throat. His fiancée immediately saw the distress on Reed’s face and ran to his side, trying to perform the Heimlich maneuver.

“She’s just so tiny, she wasn’t able to apply enough pressure,” he said.

That’s when Mike Hrycin noticed the man. He and Adam Silveira were at the tavern with their wives that Friday night.

“That gentleman doesn’t look well,” said Hrycin to Silveira– who was closest to the victim.

Adam sprang out of his chair and noticed that Reed’s eyes were beginning to bulge.

“I asked if he was choking and he nodded yes,” he recounted. “I asked if he wanted me to give him the Heimlich and he nodded yes, so I immediately began performing it on him. After a few thrusts, he still wasn’t breathing, so Mike hit him hard on the back several times. After doing the Heimlich a couple of more times, he was able to dislodge the food in his mouth and Reed began breathing again.”

Someone called 911 and the silence in the tavern turned to applause from relieved diners.

“You know I have to say hats off to both Adam and Mike, I am so grateful to them and to National Grid for providing the Heimlich training,” Reed Austin said. “They were just so calm and so professional throughout the entire incident.”

Hyrcin, who is the Director of Electric Operations for National Grid Rhode Island, said that the adrenaline was flowing when he ran over to help Austin, “With all the training we have, it made it easier to jump into action.”

Silveira, who is a Senior Supervisor on the electric side, learned the Heimlich as part of the CPR training taught by the Company. He never expected to have to use it in real life before.

“It was nice to be able to help Reed out,” he said. “If Mike hadn’t noticed him choking, maybe he would have tried to head to the bathroom to try and clear it himself and that would have been bad.”

It’s not the first time Silveira has pitched in to help others. In the late 90’s he helped extricate a woman out of an SUV that rolled over on the highway. And just a couple of years ago, Adam found a woman in a rollover and was able to work with a policeman to help free her.

“It’s a great feeling to help others,” Silveira said.

Earlier this month, Mike Hrycin and Adam Silveira were recognized as the Life Saving award recipients on Safety Leadership Day. “Mike and Adam recognized a member of the public that was choking and successful performed the Heimlich manner,” said Mike McCallan, VP of Electric Operations for New England. “They both commented that the years of safety training at National Grid attributed to their ability to react and save a life.”   

“People like Mike and Adam are why I love working for this company and industry,” said Chris Kelly, US Chief Electrical Engineer. “It’s the people like Mike and Adam who unselfishly give themselves up to help their communities when they are needed most. “

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