Mayor Eric Adams on Friday cheered a New York supermarket mogul who saved the life of a choking PIX11 staffer after his own son’s drowning death — declaring Aug. 8 “Stew Leonard Day.”
Adams praised Stew Leonard Jr., who owns a chain of eponymous grocery stores in the tri-state area, for springing to action to perform the Heimlich maneuver on the crew member Aug. 1.
“Stew Leonard’s life took on new purpose after the heartbreaking loss of his son in a swimming accident,” Adams said on X Friday.
“It brought him to learn a new skill that would save the life of another person, and that helps keep so many of NYC residents safe. Today, we honor him by making this ‘Stew Leonard Day.’”
Leonard Jr., whose 21-month-old son drowned in 1989, had just appeared on the station to discuss his swimming safety foundation when crew member Kurt Bennett began choking on a piece of steak from another segment, the company wrote on Instagram.
Leonard quickly performed the Heimlich maneuver on Bennett, dislodging the meat from his esophagus.
Mayor Adams also posted a video message on X Friday about Leonard’s quick-thinking and resilience.
“The painful moment he had losing a child helped him start a foundation to save young people…by giving swimming lessons, and he used that same skill to save a young man here,” Adams said in the footage.
Leonard, who had just made an appearance on “New York Living,” said he learned the first-aid procedure during lifeguard training for the Stew Leonard III Water Safety Foundation, which he founded in 1990.
