Superintendent Dr. Ivan Brown converses with Carla Seaga (centre) and Carole Guntley, following his moving account of how he lost both hands to a machete wielder. He related his experience at the National Leadership Prayer Breakfast held at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel on Thursday.
-Ian Allen photo
Tyrone Reid, Staff Reporter
SUPERINTENDENT DR. Ivan Brown's emotional testimony on how he managed to escape from death's door could easily be described as one of the main highlights of the National Leadership Prayer Breakfast on Thursday.
In describing his ordeal as nothing short of a miracle, Dr. Brown spoke of how God saved his life from the wrath of a machete wielding attacker, telling the captivated Jamaica Pegasus Hotel audience how his life has changed since the incident of 30 years ago.
Dr. Brown, head of community relations at the Jamaica Constabulary Force (Western Region), said he was only 25 years old at the time and had barely been married for six months.
Residing in a place called Cottage in Westmoreland, Dr. Brown said he was summoned to quell a dispute between two farmers and upon arriving, he saw his assailant with a machete.
HORROR STRUCK
Supt. Brown ordered the man to put down the machete and to step forward, which he did with ease. Shortly after, horror struck and it hit hard. The man had another machete hidden on his person and as soon as the officer was close enough he pounced.
WALTZ WITH DEATH
After his almost fatal waltz with death, both of Superinten-dent Brown's hands were severed and he received three gashes to the head that were bone-deep. He was left for dead. He recalled that either he was going to bleed to death or die of thirst. He even had to lick his own blood to appease his thirst.
But, Superintendent Brown said he prayed to God, petitioning him to spare his life. And, he did. Help came in the form of a nine-year-old child by the name of Septimus McFarlane, who went and got help for him.
Speaking with The Gleaner after the event, Mr. McFarlane, now a grown man, said the superintendent's story strengthens him. "It gives me courage, it makes me feel great to see somebody who has gone through a tragedy like that (and) I was able to render some assistance... it makes me feel like a greater person," he said with pride.
Dr. Brown, who said he is "an ambassador for Christ cleverly disguised as a superinten-dent", told the gathering that the incident brought him to the cross of Christ.
