A soccer referee saved the life of a player who was choking on his tongue after being knocked out at a match in Vinkovci, Croatia, on November 7.

Croatian news website Index reported that referee Bruno Maric took action after spotting that 20-year-old Zvonimir Filipovic had swallowed his tongue after colliding with another player around 30 minutes into the Croatia Cup match between Cibalia and Istra 1961.

“I stayed calm, and I’ve been trained before, so I knew what to do in that situation,” Maric told a sports reporter. “I cannot describe how I felt when the young man opened his eyes.”

The Istria player thanked Maric for saving his life in a interview with Croatian newspaper Jutarnji list.

The game concluded with 3-2 win for the visiting team Istra. Credit: HNTV via Storyful