What's Clint Eastwood's superpower? Abdominal thrusts.

Clint Eastwood is a force to be reckoned with, known for his acting, directing and now...abdominal thrusting. While the world was recovering from the Super Bowl and preparing for the start of the Sochi Olympics, Clint Eastwood was using his first aid skills to save a life. When the director of a local golf tournament began to choke on a piece of cheese, the film icon sprung into action, performing three textbook-perfect abdominal thrusts to save his friend.

If Clint isn’t your go-to celebrity, consider Mila Kunis, Tom Cruise, Ryan Gosling, Kate Winslet or Liev Schrieber. They’ve all been reported to have provided life-saving help to friends or strangers. Former US president Ronald Reagan, Elizabeth Taylor and Goldie Hawn have also choked and been on the receiving end of abdominal thrusts, living to tell the tale of this life-saving move.

For Jane and Joe Publics like ourselves, international media attention may not result from using our first aid skills. But with most Canadians who’ve performed first aid doing so to help a family member, headlines might not be as appealing as knowing a half-day course gives you the skills to save a life. To keep your skills up to date, and for help during life-threatening emergencies, download the Canadian Red Cross First Aid app on your Apple or Android device.

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