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Burgess hailed for saving choking man in Sydney

Rugby Union - England Captain's Run - City of Manchester Stadium - 9/10/15 England's Sam Burgess during training Action Images via Reuters / Henry Browne Livepic (Reuters)

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Sam Burgess has been hailed a lifesaver after the National Rugby League (NRL) player came to the aid of a man who was choking during a fish-eating contest at a Sydney restaurant. Burgess's South Sydney Rabbitohs were at the Sydney Fish Markets on Friday for a team bonding session when the incident occurred, Fox Sports reported. A staff member from a restaurant joined the players but was gasping for breath when a piece of food became stuck in his throat. Burgess then rushed to the man's aid and helped him swallow it. "He saved this life," Fox Sports quoted a witness as saying. "Another 30 seconds and it could have gone either way." Sydney Fish Market also hailed Burgess's actions. "All we can say is that @SamBurgess8 is a true #hero. And we are not talking about on the footy field," it said on Twitter. The Rabbitohs' 27-year-old English import said he was happy to be of help. "@SydFishMarket @SSFCRABBITOHS glad I could help. I hope everyone is ok. Thanks for having us today," tweeted the code-switching international. (Reporting by Amlan Chakraborty in New Delhi; editing by Peter Rutherford)