<p>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.</p><p>Croatian news website Index</a> 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.</p><p>“I stayed calm, and I’ve been trained before, so I knew what to do in that situation,” Maric told a sports reporter</a>. “I cannot describe how I felt when the young man opened his eyes.”</p><p>The Istria player thanked Maric for saving his life in a interview with Croatian newspaper Jutarnji list</a>.</p><p>The game concluded with 3-2 win for the visiting team Istra. Credit: HNTV via Storyful</p><br />
