![]()
April 26, 2016
In an event that can only be described as a tragedy, area student Sarah McDowell finished her drink while she was only halfway through her meal. The drink, a medium sized Pepsi, was entirely depleted before McDowell had even touched the second half of her Italian sub. McDowell, who was treated for shock shortly after the incident, has come forward to share here story with tThe Dealer in the hopes that she can help others who have endured similar traumas.
“When I first realized what was happening, I couldn’t even accept it,” said McDowell. “I kept sucking on the straw, hoping that more Pepsi would come through, but all I got was melted ice and that awful gurgling sound. When I took the lid off the drink and just saw and empty cup, I knew that it was all over.”
It was at this point that SarahMcDowell began exhibiting shock symptoms, and and entered a hysterical state. Although her dining companions rushed to comfort her, there was little they could do to ease her discomfort.
“It was the kind of thing that you never think will happen to you,.” Recalls Saidrecalled SarahMcDowell. “I had this image of the future in my head where I would take a bite of the sub and take a sip of soda to cut the dryness. I never even considered that my future could be snatched away from me until it was. All I could do then was try to pick up the pieces.”
Despite the difficulty of her situation, SarahMcDowell was able to push past her anguish. In a move that many have called heroic, SarahMcDowell, even in her hysterical state, finished the second half of her Italian sub without the aid of a drink.
“It was a horrible experience, if I’m being honest. But I knew that it was the right thing to do,.” s Said McDowell. “As I took bite after bite of dry sandwich, I knew this was the consequence of drinking my soda too fast. I kept looking around for people to blame, but it was no one’s fault but mine. I had to take responsibility and finish the sandwich.”
McDowell is currently setting up a non-profit organization designed to educate the public on proper drink portions. SarahShe describes her personal mission as “to make sure that no one has to go through the same ordeal that I did.”
