COLUMBIA, Mo. – ESPN personality Peter Burns credits a Mizzou Football fan for saving his life over the weekend when he stepped in to help Burns during an unexpected emergency.

Burns, a studio analyst for ESPN and SEC Network, was dining with colleagues on Friday night ahead of Saturday’s Mizzou vs. Boston College football game when he began to choke on a piece of food. He says Mizzou fan Jack Foster “saved my life” and helped him survive a scary situation.

According to his social media X post on Monday, Burns was enjoying dinner when he suddenly realized something was wrong.

“Immediately, I knew it was serious and motioned to our table that I couldn’t breathe,” said Burns in his X post thread .

A friend at his table quickly attempted the Heimlich maneuver, but was unable to dislodge the food. Two more people, including a nurse, also tried to help, but were unsuccessful.

Burns says his condition worsened quickly. He began to lose vision and feared he was close to blacking out. Then, Jack Foster, a fellow diner and youth sports coach, answered the call and successfully performed the Heimlich maneuver.

“I’m thankful for him and all involved that helped saved my life that night,” said Burns.

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Foster later told the SEC Network crew that he recently completed training to prepare for his new season as a youth coach, crediting the training for his quick-thinking actions.

“That training is why I am here right now,” said Burns.

Mizzou Football trainer evaluated Burns after the incident and discovered he suffered four minor rib fractures.

According to the National Safety Council , choking is a significant health risk and the fourth leading cause of unintentional injury death, responsible for more than 5,500 deaths in 2022.

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