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.
Mayor Eric Adams named August 8 “Stew Leonard Day” after the New York supermarket mogul, far right, who saved the life of a choking PIX11 staffer after his own son’s drowning death. Stew Leonard's/Facebook“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.
“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,” Adams said about Leonard Jr., whose 21-month-old son drowned in 1989. StewLeonardIIIWaterSafetyFoundation/Facebook
Aug. 8 was delcared “Stew Leonard Day” after he performed the Heimlich maneuver on a crew member on Aug. 1. PIX11
Leonard Jr. was at PIX11 to talk about swimming and water safety when a PIX11 crew member, Kurt Bennett, left, began choking on a piece of steak left over from a previous cooking segment. PIX11
Leonard said he learned the Heimlich maneuver during lifeguard training for the Stew Leonard III Water Safety Foundation, which he founded in 1990 after his son’s drowning. Stewie the DuckMayor 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.
