Man, 22, fights for life after swallowing a whole burger without chewing
A man has been left fighting for life after attempting to swallow an entire burger in one go ‘for a joke’.
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The man was hospitalised and is in intensive care in a hospital in Greece.
According to reports he is on a ventilator and in critical condition.
A friend who was with him at the time of the stunt told local media: “He had something like a panic attack. He gets up and runs a bit further away, we thought he was going to spit it out and didn't want to make a mess around others.
“He didn't do that. He makes a move to come back and then goes away again to spit it out. We thought, "Okay, now it's coming.’
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"That didn't happen either'.
“We realised something was wrong was when he was hitting his back against a column, probably trying to spit it out or something.”
Michalis Giannakos, President of the Panhellenic Federation of Public Hospital Workers (POEDHN), said: “He can only be saved by a miracle, he is in a very critical condition.
“Even if he received first aid, a doctor's intervention is needed because when the brain is left without oxygen, irreparable damage is caused.”
Police said they would be seeking CCTV footage from the restaurant to establish whether anyone encouraged him.
Former president of the Athens-Piraeus Hospital Doctors Association (EINAP), Matina Pagoni, said: “These are tragic circumstances. A 22-year-old young man who went to Koropi just to have some fun is now intubated and in extremely critical condition.”