By Deba Osakwe
A 22-year-old man is battling for his life in the intensive care unit after swallowing an entire burger “as a joke” during a meal with friends in Koropi, Greece. The incident occurred on Thursday and has left the young man on a ventilator with severe damage to several vital organs.
According to reports, the man — whose name has not been released — was rushed to the G. Gennimatas Hospital on November 13 and remains in extremely critical condition.
A friend who witnessed the shocking moment said the man began panicking almost immediately after swallowing the burger. He then staggered away from the group, seemingly attempting to spit it out, before collapsing.
“He had something like a panic attack,” the friend told local media. “We thought he just wanted to spit it out somewhere else so it wouldn’t make a mess. But he didn’t. He came back, walked away again, and still nothing happened. That’s when we realized something was terribly wrong.”
The friend recalled that the man began hitting his back against a pillar in desperation, likely trying to force the food out. He also insisted that this was not part of a challenge or social media stunt: “He just said, ‘Look.’ If you want to call it something, call it a joke.”
Doctors believe the man stopped breathing for at least two minutes, causing catastrophic harm due to a lack of oxygen.
Michalis Giannakos, president of the Panhellenic Federation of Public Hospital Workers, described the situation as dire:
“He can only be saved by a miracle. His condition is extremely critical.”
He further questioned how anyone could manage to swallow an entire burger without chewing, emphasizing that even immediate first aid may not have been enough to prevent severe brain damage.
Authorities are now reviewing CCTV footage from the restaurant to determine whether anyone encouraged or pressured him into the act.
Medical experts say the young man has suffered serious damage to his brain, kidneys and multiple other organs. Matina Pagoni, former president of the Athens-Piraeus Hospital Doctors Association, called the situation “tragic.”
“A 22-year-old who went out simply to enjoy a meal with friends is now intubated and fighting for his life,” she said. “These are heartbreaking circumstances.”
