‘God was with me!’ - Bishop says he was under water for 45 minutes after baptism mishap

Revivalist Bishop Joseph Telfer is comparing his brush with death to the biblical story of the three Hebrew boys -- Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego -- who survived the fiery furnace, claiming that divine intervention saved him from drowning during a botched baptism in Bog Walk, St Catherine.

The shocking incident, which unfolded two Sundays ago, saw the bishop, a fellow church member, and a woman being baptised swept away by the river's powerful current. In the now-viral video, Telfer is seen losing his footing as he attempted to submerge the woman, sparking rumours that he had drowned. But Telfer said that not only is he alive but insists it was nothing short of a miracle.

"I was under the water for 45 minutes and not even a drop of water entered my lungs," Telfer told THE STAR. "When man go under deh, dem tek in water, but God was with me!"

"God mek mi swim, and I don't even know how to swim!" the bishop said, his confidence unwavering. "All I did under deh was pray and sing, and God carried me through."

Scientists say that an average person can last up to three minutes under water, without air, before falling unconscious and around 10 minutes before dying. But Telfer believes his faith in God was the determining factor in him making it out alive. Drawing comparisons to the biblical tale of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, the bishop declared, "If you are a vessel for the Lord, then no weapon formed against you shall prosper. God is a spirit, and if you say you're trying to live for God, he will preserve you. Remember the Hebrew boys were cast in the fire, but they did not get burned because when them look them see four [boys], the firm God mek four. Suh God was there with me, and he's still with me".

The gripping footage of the baptism disaster has captivated social media. Looking back at the incident, Telfer, the leader of Holy Stars of Mount Zion in Linstead, St Catherine, said he has performed countless baptisms in the same river without any issues, but this time, he believes that the water was stirred by a particular factor.

"When I went, the water wasn't dirty," he explained when asked why he proceeded with the baptism despite the river's murky appearance.

Despite this frightening experience, the bishop, who has been preaching since the age of nine, remains undeterred in his commitment to continue his work for God.

"I have no fears. I woulda guh deh right now. I would go back to that same very spot," Telfer said, adding that the experience has only strengthened his faith.