Steak choking left Kelsey McLean dead for 3 minutes

Kelsey Abernathy McLean says she stopped breathing for three minutes after a piece of steak lodged in her throat, and that she was taken to the “other side” for a life review.

The 53-year-old had been looking forward to an evening with family and a barbecue when she took her first bite. She had tried to chew a large piece of steak, but it became stuck in her throat, and the Heimlich manoeuvre did not move it.

Struggling to breathe, the stay-at-home mum told Need To Know that she drifted into “a vast pit of darkness” and was then plunged into “a tightly wrapped cocoon.” “I was not ready to leave this life,” she said.

She added: “I desperately wanted to watch my young son grow up and I wanted to grow old with my husband, Rob. “As the lights dimmed, I felt as though I was wrapped in a cocoon of infinite love. “Time didn’t seem to exist – and there was no beginning or end. “No words were spoken, yet I understood a universal language.

“I started to see snippets of my life, almost like watching a movie on a large screen. “I could actually feel the emotions I had caused others by my actions; both good and bad. “My life review showed me the karma I had created. “I was sad to see how I had hurt people and I wanted to be forgiven.

“But I was so proud of the times I had been loving, especially to people who didn’t deserve it, and I forgave them. “I learned that material possessions, status and money doesn’t matter in life. “And it struck me as absurd that I’d spent so much of my life caring about things you can’t take with you when you die.”

Kelsey, from Philadelphia, US, had been looking at old family photos of her husband, Rob, before the ordeal. A photo of him was in her wallet, which she believes acted as a “guardian angel” and brought her back to life.

She said a beam of bright light then radiated through her. “For several seconds, I was utterly confused as to what happened,” she said. “I’d been passed out for three minutes and 30 seconds – at four minutes, brain damage begins.”

Medics said it was a “miracle” that she survived, despite a few bruised ribs. According to the National Institutes of Health, full airway blockage choking is the fourth leading cause of unintentional injury death in the United States, and around 5,500 people die from it each year.

She is now moving forward with a new attitude to life after what she says she learned during her review on the “other side.” “I am terrified of having another near death experience, as this was such a close call,” she said. “And I am not ready to say goodbye just yet.

“I cut my food into smaller bites and chew thoroughly and I’ve taken a CPR class with my husband and son. “But the main thing I’ve learned is to forgive myself and others, be kinder and savour every blessed moment.

“I do question each action I take and whether it’ll be a positive moment highlighted in my next life review or a moment of hurt that I will one day feel myself. “But, overall, I’m grateful for the near-death experience. “It’s changed my life in miraculous ways.

“I used to be terrified of dying, but now, I’m no longer afraid after having a glimpse of the other side. “I’m afraid of not living out my full life here and not appreciating what I have. “And I’ve realised that karma is most certainly real.

“I hope that when I do die, my review will leave me feeling proud of myself. “The real miracle here is that I’ve been given a second chance.”

Mum Kelsey, 53, stopped breathing for over three minutes after choking on steak - claiming she was transported to the 'other side' for a vivid life review.

Mum Kelsey, 53, stopped breathing for over three minutes after choking on steak - claiming she was transported to the 'other side' for a vivid life review.

Mum Kelsey, 53, stopped breathing for over three minutes after choking on steak - claiming she was transported to the 'other side' for a vivid life review.

Mum Kelsey, 53, stopped breathing for over three minutes after choking on steak - claiming she was transported to the 'other side' for a vivid life review.

Mum Kelsey, 53, stopped breathing for over three minutes after choking on steak - claiming she was transported to the 'other side' for a vivid life review.