Clint Eastwood saves life of choking Pebble Beach tournament director

Clint Eastwood, director, actor, life saver. (Fred Prouser / Reuters)

Clint Eastwood may be 83 years old, but he’s a very swift and strong 83.

The actor/director came to the rescue of a man who was choking at a dinner on the night before the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. Eastwood performed the Heimlich maneuver for the first time in his life, much to the relief of the man, who was tournament director Steve John.

“I looked in his eyes and saw that look of panic people have when they see their life passing before their eyes,” Eastwood told The Carmel Pine Cone, adding that it was the first time he had performed the Heimlich. “It looked bad. … I gave him three good jolts and that got it out. And then I made him drink a big glass of water with a bunch of lemon squeezed in it.”

John was noshing on a bit of cheese when he suddenly was in trouble.

“Clint saved my life,” John told the Pine Cone. “We were just talking. A piece of cheese went in my mouth and suddenly I couldn’t breathe. It was bad as it could have been.”

Luckily, Eastwood, the former mayor of Carmel, was there. “Clint came up behind me and he knew exactly what to do,” John said. “He did the Heimlich maneuver and he lifted me right off the ground. He’s strong! The cheese popped out and I was fine.”

It also helped that Eastwood is ridiculously fit for an 83-year-old.

“I can’t believe I’m 202 pounds and he threw me up in the air three times,” John said.