The mayor of Dallas saved a woman from choking at a local restaurant.

Yahoo reports that Mayor Mike Rawlings was eating lunch at a local restaurant when he heard screaming from the table behind him. Acting fast, Rawlings used abdominal thrusts on the woman who was choking at the El Fenix restaurant in downtown Dallas.

ABC Affiliate WFAA reports Helen Mayer was the choking victim and never thought in her wildest dreams that the Mayor of Dallas would save her life. She stated, "The next thing I knew, this gentleman had picked me up from behind and did the Heimlich maneuver, I came around, and it was the mayor of Dallas. It was like he was my hero."

Mayer was choking on fajita meat with her family members at her side.

Rawlings son, Gunnar, tweeted a photo of his father and the victim he saved:

When asked about his father heroic act, Gunnar stated, "I've been to El Fenix probably a thousand times and that's the most eventful trip to El Fenix of all time."  

Rawlings issued a statement on the matter stating, "Ms. Mayer was back, totally red, wasn't breathing, My son, Gunnar thought she was having a heart attack." 

In May, Rawlings was reelected as Mayor of Dallas. During his first term in office, Rawlings drew harsh criticism. According to Kera News, Rawlings has given strong support to Dallas School Superintendent Mike Miles, and the controversial home ruling effort that changes the way Dallas schools are run.  

Before running for mayor in 2011, he was an executive for Pizza Hut.