Niagara County Legislature Honors OFA Employee Angel Ritz for Life Saving Actions

At the Tuesday meeting of the Niagara County Legislature, Legislator Jesse Gooch and Director of the Office for the Aging (OFA) Darlene DiCarlo honored OFA employee Angel Ritz for her actions that saved the life of a choking patron at Spallino Towers in Niagara Falls.  Angel is a nutrition services assistant, managing and coordinating lunches for senior citizens in the county’s congregate meal program.

“There are indeed angels who walk among us, literally in case of Angel Ritz, who remained calm in a very critical situation and took action to save the life of another,” said Gooch.   “Her actions reflect the highest standards of civic duty and we are very proud to honor her.”

Specifically, on Monday, February 9 , Angel was working her shift during lunch at Spallino Towers when she observed a patron choking.  Attempts were made by others to perform the Heimlich maneuver to clear the airway which were unsuccessful.  Applying life-saving skills training she have previously received, Angel reached into the patron’s mouth with a gloved hand and was able to remove the lodged food, restoring the patron’s ability to breathe.

“I knew at moment, there wasn’t time to think, only time to act,” said Ritz during the Legislature’s presentation.  “At that moment, I did not see a heroic act, I just a human being who needed my help to do whatever I could to save her.

EMTs arrived shortly thereafter and took the patron to the hospital.  The patron is doing fine and has since returned to the congregate meal program.