Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly was credited with saving the life of a choking woman Wednesday during a public event at Pine Lakes Golf Club.
Sharon Demers was unable to speak and indicated to Staly that she was choking on a piece of food lodged in her airway, sheriff spokeswoman Brittany Kershaw said.
Staly performed the Heimlich maneuver on her and on the fourth attempt the piece of food was dislodged, Kershaw said.
The incident took place during a "Meet the Candidates" event for the Florida Commissioner of Agriculture at the club located on Pine Lakes Parkway North in Palm Coast.
Demers thanked Staly for saving her life.
"He was in the right place at the right time," she said in a statement released by the Sheriff's Office later that night. "I don't think I would have survived if he hadn't been there."
Staly sat next to Demers during the remainder of the night to make sure she was fine. She declined medical assistance.
The room erupted in applause after they realized what Staly had done, Kershaw said.
"I would hope that anyone in my position would have done the same thing," Staly said.