Dylan Franz, a bartender at Sean Bolan’s Irish Pub, was honored by Bel Air town officials this week for his heroic actions in January when he saved a choking customer.

According to witnesses, Franz, 28, sprang into action on Jan. 15 when a customer began choking on food. Franz performed the Heimlich maneuver on the customer, and saved his life, according to the Harford County Department of Emergency Services.

“A lot of people were standing around, looking, and Dylan jumped right in,” said Matt Remsnyder, co-owner of Sean Bolan’s. He noted that when he asked Franz if he had ever performed the Heimlich maneuver before, he said he had not. “He just said, ‘Your instincts take over, and you just tell yourself that you know what to do because you learn this in school.’ And he did it, and the guy was breathing.”

Mayor Paula Etting presented Franz with a proclamation at the start of Monday’s town hall meeting.

“Had he not intervened, the outcome could have been far, far worse — if not fatal — thus further underscoring the need for all citizens to learn CPR and other lifesaving techniques that can be applied when time is of the essence,” Etting said.

Denny Moran, a customer who witnessed the incident, also lauded Franz for his quick actions.

“A couple people tried, but just didn’t have the strength to do it. There was only so much air left in that man’s lungs. Dylan, you did your job, and then you vanished into the crowd. It was like, ‘Who was that man?’” Moran said.

Franz, who graduated from Bel Air High School in 2014, received a round of applause from those in attendance, and thanked commissioners and members of the public for their praise.

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