The Restaurant World Needs More Heroes Like This Bartender

For a tabloid TV news show, Inside Edition has an uncanny knack for digging up compelling food-safety stories. Remember, this is the same outfit that once devoted a whole two-part series to video footage of rats running amok in various New York City restaurants — sort of like a real-life Ratatouille, only without the culinary aspirations.

That was eight years ago. But the ripple effects of that old footage are still being felt today. Those videos helped fuel widespread hysteria over vermin-infested restaurants in the city at the time, triggering a Health Department crackdown and eventually leading to the current letter-grade inspection gauntlet that is the object of so much criticism from chefs and restaurateurs.

Now, the same news show is casting a more positive light on the restaurant industry, spotlighting the life-saving action of a San Diego–area bartender, Patrick Fagan, who recently rescued a patron from choking on a hamburger. Security cameras captured the incident as it unfolded inside the Regal Seagull restaurant in Encinitas, California. The video shows Fagan leaping over the bar to perform the Heimlich maneuver on the gasping victim — the daring suds-slinger's first attempt at this sort of procedure, mind you; bless those ubiquitous choking posters.

After expelling the lodged chunk, the patron reportedly "went back to his hamburger." (That must be some burger! We're guessing it's because of the "secret sauce.")

These are the kinds of stories we like to see from our friends in the restaurant industry. Less rats. More Mighty Mouse types, dashing heroes who can save the day. And also serve a great hamburger.

Watch the full video below: