Final answer:
The literary device used in the passage is imagery, which creates sensory experiences for the reader.
Step-by-step explanation:
The literary device used in the given passage is imagery. Imagery is the use of descriptive language to create sensory experiences for the reader. In this particular excerpt, the author vividly describes the sensation of struggling to breathe, with phrases like 'couldn't get my breath' and 'felt like my chest was on fire.'