An apparatus and method for removing a lodged mass from an airway of a human or animal in which the source of suction is a sealed vacuum container which is punctured when the device is positioned within the mouth of the victim. As contrasted with prior art devices of this type, the retracting force created due to the pressure differential is developed instantaneously to a greater degree than heretofore obtainable, and this force is maintained until the foreign object is completely dislodged.