A Washington Township man is alive and well thanks to his grandson and dog.
Last week Tony Del Rosso was watching television with his grandson, Jerry Bellissima, 17, according to the Gloucester County Times. Suddenly Del Rosso began to choke on a cashew he was eating and quickly passed out.
The Times reports Del Rosso didn’t make a sound when he lost consciousness, preventing his grandson from noticing that he was in trouble. Fortunately Del Rosso’s 5-year-old Cairn Terrier did. The dog, named Teddy, began barking, alerting Jerry that his grandfather was choking.
Jerry instantly remembered learning the Heimlich maneuver when he was a young boy at Wedgwood Elementary School. The lesson paid off in a big way as Jerry performed the maneuver on his grandfather until the cashew came out and Tony regained consciousness.
After the close call, Tony is grateful for several things; his life, his heroic grandson, and his beloved dog.
“This dog is probably the smartest animal I’ve ever had,” said Del Rosso to the Times. “He understands English, I swear.”
