Kudos!

LAS VEGAS, Nev. - For several months now, most issues of The Times have included a "Kudos!" feature along with a request for readers to let us know of people who have done something "interesting, unique, inspiring or impressive." Last week we received a call from longtime Waitsburg resident, Bill Hinchliffe, who shared a story that qualifies on all three counts.

Bill shared that his granddaughter, Mikayla Steberl, works in Las Vegas as the "right hand man" to the famous magician, David Copperfield. Mikayla announces for Copperfield, brings him props, etc. That, alone, is interesting, impressive and unique, but it wasn't what Bill was calling to share.

Bill's daughter (and Mikayla's mother), Cheryl Steberl, traveled to Las Vegas to visit Mikayla last month and the two ladies went out to dinner. As Bill tells the story, Mikayla went to use the restroom and discovered a man, standing near the lavatory who was choking and had his hands wrapped around his throat. Everyone was standing helplessly, aside from one man who was patting the victim on the back.

Mikayla alerted her mother who asked the 25-30 people in the area if anyone knew the Heimlich maneuver. No one responded so Cheryl attempted the maneuver herself. The first two attempts were unsuccessful but the third thrust dislodged the obstruction, and the man began to breathe again.

First responders arrived five to ten minutes later, but it was believed that Cheryl saved the man's life.

"The restaurant sent a bouquet to her room and gave her a free meal and the manager offered her a job right there. I'm really proud of her!" Hinchliffe said.

"You have 30 people in there and not one knows the Heimlich maneuver, or doesn't want to use it, and here's a guy dying and no one doing anything except for one guy patting him on the back! As an ex school teacher she knew the Hemlich maneuver but had never had a use for it. But when she did, she used it. It's pretty amazing for a girl from the Tri-Cities to save the life of someone in Las Vegas," Hinchliffe said.

Cheryl Steberl sells real estate in the Tri-Cities and her husband, Mike Steberl, teaches and coaches baseball in Burbank, Hinchliffe said.

Know someone who's done something interesting,

unique, inspiring or impressive?

We'd love to hear about it! Email dena@waitsburgtimes.com