Lynchburg woman thanks police officer who saved her from choking

LYNCHBURG, Va. – A local woman and her daughters took the time to thank a Lynchburg Police officer who saved her life.

Over the summer, that woman started choking when Officer Austin Rowland performed the Heimlich maneuver and saved her life.

The woman and her two daughters reunited with the officer Saturday morning to thank him.

Lynchburg Police posted about the reunion on Facebook:

“Weekend surprise! Earlier this summer, Officer Mike Johnson and Officer Austin Rowland were handling a late night call for service when a resident started choking and turning blue. Officer Rowland jumped into action, performing the Heimlich maneuver and saving her life. She recently reached back out to Officer Johnson because she and her daughters wanted to do something special and thank the officer who saved her life. This morning they met up at Old Forest Walmart and the resident and her children surprised Officer Rowland with a balloon, cards, and hugs. We’re grateful for the quick action of Officer Rowland and for relationships like this that make our city so special.”