In what could be described as an act of divine intervention, Pastor Brandon Stewart, on a visit to Mt. Zion Church in Cottonwood, Alabama, transformed from preacher to lifesaver when he performed the Heimlich maneuver on a grandmother choking on a peppermint during his sermon, as FOX 5 Atlanta reported.
Stewart, who usually preaches in Taylorsville, Georgia, had a particular set of skills from his past as a police officer that equipped him to handle the crisis, noting, "Part of the training is first responder training, Including the Heimlich maneuver," the pastor stepped in immediately when he noticed Lois Adams struggling to breathe immediately recognizing her life-threatening situation, despite initially thinking her coughing might have been caused by allergic reactions frequent during the season, according to an interview with KYOU TV.
The congregation witnessed Pastor Stewart leap into action as the situation unfolded; Adams, amidst praise and worship, found herself in acute distress, "I got choked on it. I couldn't breathe. Next thing I know, somebody has me up in the air," she recounted to FOX 5 Atlanta. Stewart managed to dislodge the candy, ensuring Adams could once again breathe, a moment she deemed a miracle.
Once the emergency was over, the service picked up right where it had been interrupted, with Stewart quick to deflect the attention away from his heroics, "I believe the word when it says, 'The steps of the righteous are ordered by the lord,' because He had me in the right place at the right time," Stewart humbly acknowledged his lifesaving intervention, and after performing the Heimlich, they made a joke afterward, which reflects the relief and the sense of community in the space moving from tension back into serenity according to KYOU TV.
In the aftermath of the incident, both Stewart and Adams advocated for the importance of the Heimlich maneuver knowledge, suggesting that such knowledge is potentially lifesaving. Stewart's commitment to his ministry remains unfazed, asserting that the revival service will continue until they feel their mission has been fulfilled.
