CLEVELAND, Tenn. — In a few desperate minutes in April a Bradley County woman managed to lift a car that had fallen on her father's chest.
Then she and a Bradley deputy managed to bring the man back to life.
On Monday, Deputy Daniel Marlow and Angela Sherlin were recognized for saving Carl Sherlin's life.
The Sherlins and Deputy Marlow, along with sheriff's department officials, were applauded by the Bradley County Commission when state Rep. Eric Watson presented a special resolution passed by the Tennessee General Assembly.
"His hands were tight and his face was blue, and if it wasn't for the Lord and these two people I know Mr. Sherlin wouldn't be here today," said Rep. Watson, R-Cleveland.
"I don't remember anything," Mr. Sherlin said. "I don't remember getting under the car. This deputy was about half a mile away and came rushing over when the call came in. He gave me CPR and never gave up."
Mr. Sherlin said he was in the hospital in Chattanooga for about a month.
Turning to Deputy Marlow, he added, "If I live to be a hundred years old I will appreciate him all my life."
Ms. Sherlin said she was getting ready to leave the house that day and felt she needed to speak to her dad, who was outside working on the car.
She found him pinned beneath the vehicle, already losing consciousness.
"I screamed and hollered to call 911," Ms. Sherlin said.
"I picked the car up off him. My oldest son came running out. I said drag him out cause I can't hold this up any longer," she said.
"That's when the officer got there. Dad was already gone. He had quit breathing," she said.
To all the people who helped that day, Mr. Sherlin said, "I don't know you all, but God does."
"I think we were all blessed that day," Deputy Marlow said.
"I happened to be at the right place at the right time," he said. "There are a lot of outstanding deputies out there who would have done the same thing."