Young man swallows entire burger and is in critical condition

A 22-year-old man is in critical condition after swallowing an entire burger ‘as a joke’ during a gathering with friends on Thursday (13) in Koropi, Greece. Local media reported that he is intubated and connected to a mechanical ventilator after suffering severe damage to vital organs, according to the Daily Mail. The man, whose name has not been disclosed, was rushed to the ICU at G. Gennimatas Hospital, where he remains in critical condition. Friends said he panicked immediately after swallowing the burger and passed out shortly after. One of the friends who was with him told the Greek media that initially, the group thought the young man would step aside to spit out the food. ‘He had something like a panic attack. We thought he didn’t want to make a mess near other people. But he didn’t spit it out. He came back, tried again, and nothing happened,’ he said. The friend also stated that they realized the severity of the situation when the young man started hitting his back against a column, apparently trying to expel the burger. He also denied that the act was part of a challenge: ‘He just said, ‘Look’. If you want to call it something, call it a joke.’ Witnesses believe the man went two minutes without breathing. Michalis Giannakos, president of the Pan-Hellenic Federation of Public Hospital Workers, said the young man’s condition is extremely delicate. ‘Only a miracle can save him,’ he declared. He also questioned how someone could swallow an entire burger without chewing and emphasized that lack of oxygenation causes irreversible damage to the brain. Local police announced that they will request footage from the restaurant’s cameras to investigate if there was any encouragement from someone for the young man to attempt the alleged joke. Doctor Matina Pagoni, former president of the Athens-Piraeus Hospitals Medical Association, described the case as ‘tragic.’ ‘A 22-year-old who had gone out to have fun is now intubated, in an extremely critical condition, with serious problems in the brain, kidneys, and other organs,’ she said.