Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider saves a woman from 'choking on a shrimp' in restaurant

Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider saved a woman from choking after intervening with the Heimlich Maneuver while out for lunch. 

Schneider, who was appointed the Blue Jays manager following a successful interim spell, was enjoying a meal with his wife 'about two weeks ago' in Dunedin, FL. 

The 43-year-old aided a woman who had a shrimp disrupting her air flow at Clear Sky Draught Haus, in close proximity to the Blue Jays' player development complex, north of Clearwater. 

'[She] was choking on a shrimp, wandered over there, asked if I could help,' Scneider said, via Sportsnet. 'No one on her table was helping, couple Heimlich's and she was all good.'

'Right place, right time,' Schneider told reporters Sunday. 'I was just enjoying lunch. You either help or you don't and I decided I'd go over and see if I could help.' 

John Schneider helped save a woman from choking on a shrimp while having lunch in Dunedin

Despite little practice of the maneuver, Schneider had no concerns about stepping in.

'I learned it in sixth grade and hadn't done it since. So, it was just like, "I think I remember how to do this." I'm a bigger guy so I think that helped a little bit.'  

Schneider received a reward for his act of heroism, in the form of a complimentary beer. 

'She said, 'Thank you,' and carried on with her meal with her friends,' he said. 'I think I was a little more rattled than she was.' 

While his selflessness may have been straight out of a Hollywood script, Schneider said the moment was far from it. 

'It just came up naturally I guess, but it wasn't like popping a bottle of champagne.' 

General Manager of Clear Sky Draught Haus received first-hand accounts of what occurred.

'I heard he was really polite and really gentle, and then helped her with the Heimlich,' Christakos told Sportsnet. 'He was very nonchalant and walked back over.' 

Schneider's calmness under pressure should bode well for his first official season in charge of the Toronto ball club after guiding them to a 46-28 record and an AL Wild Card Series.   

The new Blue Jays manager was hired on an interim basis last season prior to receiving the job

Toronto are currently working out in Dunedin, Florida as part of their annual Spring training