VIDEO: LAPD Officer Saves Man Choking Inside Restaurant

An LAPD officer is being called a hero after saving a choking man's life, reports KCAL . Officer Mark Mireles was on his lunch break and sprang into action.

Security video from the California Chicken Cafe in West Hills, Calif., shows how the story unfolded on Sunday.

A man in white suddenly gets up from his table and hunches over, unable to breathe. The man's wife and son watch helplessly as he begins to choke.

Mireles happened to be on his lunch break and on his way to get a soda.

"It was evident that his airway was obstructed," Mireles said, "because he couldn't even make a sound. I knew that I had seconds to act."

Mireles then began performing the Heimlich maneuver. After clearing the man's airway, officer Mireles waits with him until paramedics arrive.

This is not the first time Mireles has been credited with saving a life. The 48-year-old has received three medals of valor during his two-and-a-half decades with the department.

He said he hopes this story will inspire other people to learn life-saving techniques.

The choking victim says he is grateful to the officer for saving his life.