When Tony Henderson started choking on a sandwich at a fireworks display he thought his own lights were about to go out for good.
He survived to tell the story, albeit with a broken rib as a reminder of life-saving action carried out by a stranger.
The Whangarei teacher would like to know the name of the man who performed the Heimlich Manoeuvre on him at the Tomarata Primary School annual fireworks fundraiser.
Mr Henderson and his family were waiting for the display to start at the school, 15km south of Mangawhai, when he went to the car to get his phone. He started to choke on the sandwich he was eating, and caught the attention of a man walking past with his family.
"I still had a whisper of air getting through but I couldn't breathe. I tapped this guy on the shoulder and gasped out 'Heimlich', and he said 'for real?'. The next thing, he's got me in the hold and done it."