FOCUS: ORANGE COUNTY COMMUNITY NEWS : NEWPORT BEACH

A Newport Beach woman came to the rescue of a man choking on his food while dining at the Newport Beach Tennis Club on Friday evening. “Basically, she saved his life,” Newport Beach Fire Capt. David Mais said.

By the time firefighters and paramedics rushed to the scene, Ren Newcomb, 73, of Newport Beach could breath on his own, Mais said.

Much of the credit belongs to Marney Thompson, a nurse who was planning to leave the club at 7 p.m. when a waitress she knew ran up to her pleading for help.

“I just hopped to and ran around the corner [to the restaurant],” she said. Newcomb was slumped over on the table. “He had turned absolutely purple and his lips were black,” she said.

After performing a few Heimlich maneuvers, she laid him on the floor and began CPR, she said.

“His wife was screaming, ‘Oh, he’s dead, he’s dead!,’ ” she said.

But Thompson kept her cool, her 22 years of training serving her well, she said. “I was in nurse mode,” she said. “You’re just not emotional at all at the time.”

Newcomb remains in stable condition at Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian, Newport Beach paramedic Glenn White said.