LI company’s ‘Wall of Saves’ shows nearly 5,000 choking victims saved with revolutionary device

A Long Island father helped illustrate the lifesaving potential of a simple anti-choking device in 2021 when his 2-year-old son began choking on chicken nuggets at their Massapequa home. John Cosides rushed to grab LifeVac, an easy-to-use device created by Suffolk County inventor Arthur Lih, and within seconds his son’s airway opened. The incident is cited by the company as a turning point that underscored a broader mission now chronicled on a Wall of Saves at LifeVac’s Nesconset headquarters. The wall and the accompanying records have grown into a global tally, with LifeVac crediting thousands of rescues across the world.

Inside LifeVac’s Nesconset facility, the Wall of Saves began as a few dozen photos and has expanded to thousands, with the ceiling raised to accommodate more images as new rescues arrive. The hall of saved lives has become a shrine to everyday heroism, according to founder Arthur Lih, who has said the room functions like a cathedral to the lives saved by the device. "A difference of four minutes, and this place would be a memorial instead," Lih told The Post.

LifeVac began as a garage project in Massapequa a little over a decade ago. Lih, who previously ran a transportation business, says the idea came after he witnessed a hospital scene that left him with survivor’s guilt. The room is decorated with photos of people whose lives were saved by the device, a reminder of Lih’s motivation to pursue the mission. "We’re talking electrical tape, gorilla glue, a mask, and a plunger from Home Depot. That’s it," Lih said of the first prototype. A baby named Gabriel was saved by a LifeVac after choking at a restaurant in 2021, a moment that helped propel the project forward.

Like many startups, LifeVac faced early hurdles. The product was initially slow to attract large-scale manufacturers as Lih, guided by his engineer father, designed the device to last a lifetime per unit. He has said, "They want to sell you a new one every year," and that his family’s values trumped profit motives, including free replacements after use. The company endured a slow start: no recorded lives saved in the first two years of formal operation, then four in 2016. Despite early skepticism, LifeVac continued to grow, even as investors on shows like Shark Tank passed on the concept.

Today, LifeVac’s usage numbers have climbed steadily: 153 rescues in 2021, 357 in 2022, 1,011 in 2023, 1,719 in 2024, and 1,323 saved thus far in 2025. The company notes that more than 3,000 children have survived choking incidents involving food, leaves, or toy parts, though Lih cautions that the figures are likely undercounting the real total. "Those are just the numbers reported back to us," he said, adding that the true totals could be double or triple what is documented, and that the organization remains committed to sharing as many success stories as possible.

The Wall of Saves now displays thousands of photos and stories, reflecting a global reach that LifVac says includes more than 4,700 survivors worldwide. The Nesconset hall remains a central piece of the company’s identity, even as the device has become widely available to households seeking a straightforward, no-training-required tool to clear an airway. Lih, who recalls his own loss and near-misses, frames the mission as a lifelong commitment: "When I come in here, it’s like a cathedral…God put me on this mission and I’m not going to the ground until we finish it."

A separate image captured the early days of LifeVac, showing the prototype alongside the final product as the company evolved from a garage project to a commercial device. The early-day photo underscores the contrast between the modest beginnings and the scale the device has achieved today.

The company’s narrative also includes a photograph of the garage setup that launched LifeVac, a reminder of the founder’s vow to persevere through skepticism. The LifeVac prototype and the final design appear side by side in one image, illustrating the evolution of a device that now sits in many homes and emergency kits around the world.

Today’s LifeVac remains marketed as a one-person device intended for use by non-professionals during choking emergencies. The mask forms a suction seal over the mouth and pulls the obstruction free, with the company advertising a simple, user-friendly process that does not require formal training. The price point has been cited as $69.95 for a retail unit, a detail cited in company materials and interviews as part of the device’s accessibility to families.

The Wall of Saves is not only a gallery but a reminder of ongoing risk and the potential for rapid intervention to alter outcomes. Lih’s personal story, his family’s experiences, and the documented rescues collectively illustrate a broader public-health theme: accessible tools can reduce time to relief during choking incidents, and the story of LifeVac’s development reflects a broader push for home-based emergency preparedness.

As the wall continues to grow and the company broadens its reach, the LifeVac team says it remains committed to improving accessibility and encouraging responsible use of the device. The ongoing balance of caution, accessibility, and lifesaving potential underscores the device’s role in contemporary health and safety conversations across households worldwide.