Carnival Celebration Restaurant Manager Honored After Saving Choking Baby

What should have been an ordinary dinner break aboard Carnival Celebration turned into a life-or-death moment when an 11-month-old girl stopped breathing after choking on a grape.

Restaurant manager Millić Šarović is now being recognized by Carnival Cruise Line after stepping in during the emergency and helping save the child. The off-duty crew member later received the line’s internal “Hero” award after the incident, which happened as the ship was sailing toward Miami.

The Emergency Happened During His Dinner Break

Šarović had just finished his shift and sat down to eat in one of the 183,521-gross-ton ship’s 17 dining venues when another crew member rushed over to tell him something was badly wrong.

He told local media in Montenegro, where he lives, “I had sat down to have dinner when a crew member came over, very upset. I ran over and saw a crowd of people surrounding a little girl. She was clearly unconscious, and I saw they were hitting her from behind, on the back, so I assumed she was choking.”

When he reached the scene, he found the infant unconscious and showing no signs of life. People nearby were trying to help, but he said no one was using the Heimlich maneuver.

He Stepped in Even With the Risk Involved

Šarović said he acted on instinct.

“I took her, even though I didn’t know if she was alive, and I risked a lot because if she had died in my arms, it would have destroyed my career and my life. But the parent in me took over,” he said.

That split-second decision appears to have made all the difference. After about a minute, the girl expelled the grape that had blocked her airway and started breathing again.

The ship’s doctor then arrived and confirmed that the baby was in stable condition. No further details about the infant have been released.

Carnival Presented Him With Its Hero Award

Carnival later honored Šarović with its internal “Hero” award, which recognizes employees who take extraordinary action in critical moments.

In a statement, the cruise line said, “Millić Šarović is being recognized for living the Carnival Values and bringing them to life for our guests and fellow team members.”

The recognition came after another company honor he received last year, when he was named one of Carnival Cruise Line’s top leaders, according to local media reports.

Šarović said saving the little girl “is the greatest achievement of my career.”

The Rescue Shows How Fast Emergencies Can Happen at Sea

The incident was a reminder that even though cruise ships have onboard medical centers staffed by doctors and nurses, crew members are often the first people to respond when something goes wrong in a public area.

That was the case aboard Carnival Celebration, which carries 5,362 passengers and 1,735 crew members. The ship is currently homeporting in Miami and sailing Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries that include Carnival’s new private destination, Celebration Key, on Grand Bahama Island.

The story also underlines why first-aid and emergency training matter so much on modern cruise ships. Medical emergencies can happen in seconds, whether a crew member is on duty or simply trying to sit down for dinner.

Carnival’s “Hero” award program is designed to recognize employees who show courage and quick thinking in moments like these.

He’s Also Well Known in His Hometown

Outside of his work with Carnival, Šarović is known in his hometown of Bar, Montenegro. He previously co-owned Dublin Pub and also performed as a musician.

He still leads a rock band called 9 while also working as one of the senior restaurant managers aboard Carnival Celebration.

What began as a routine break ended with a baby breathing again, a family spared a tragedy, and one crew member being recognized for acting fast when every second counted.

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