A Texas pastor is thanking God he's alive after getting stuck in a tornado while out fishing.
Pastor Brian Johnson was in a boat with a friend and his dog on a reservoir on Saturday, about 95 kilometres east of Houston when a tornado struck.
"We were fishing because the barometric pressure was changing and we thought it would be good," said Pastor Johnson. "The storm was on the other side [of the reservoir]."
He says the storm changed its path and they became trapped.
The EF-3 tornado caused the boat to flip into the water. Johnson was forced to hang on to the boat, as his pants were stuck and he was unable to move.
“I’m holding onto the boat… ‘cause the wind is just ripping,” Johnson said in an interview with KTRK. “And I’m like, ‘It’s gonna pick me up out of this water any second.’”
Johnson and his friend, who found an air pocket under the boat, survived the storm without injury. As did his dog.
"I made a terrible decision," said Pastor Johnson. "In life, we all make poor decisions and in life, we all go through storms, but I want you to know that even though this was my fault I was out here, God was with me in the middle of the storm."
He is now using this experience to remind others that God is with them, even in the most difficult seasons of life.
"Many of you are in a storm, maybe you're coming out of one or maybe there is one on the horizon. I want you to know that whether it's your fault or not, God can see you through the storm. You can trust him. You can count on him."
"I believe this is all about me being able to give you the testimony and be able to share with you that God saw me through a storm. It's not about me. It's about God."