A surgeon in Alabama trekked more than six miles on foot during Tuesday's snowstorm to perform life-saving brain surgery on a patient.

Dr. Zenko Hrynkiw was working at Brookwood Medical Center in Birmingham on Tuesday when he received word that a patient requiring emergency brain surgery had arrived at Trinity Medical Center, located more than six miles away. But because of Tuesday's storm, which effectively shut down transportation across the Southeast, Hrynkiw was able to drive only three blocks before traffic stopped. He quickly called the hospital.

"The cell service was bad so we were fading in and out," Steve Davis, charge nurse in the neuro intensive care unit at Trinity, told AL.com. "At one point, I heard him say, 'I'm walking.'"

Davis contacted hospital authorities, who notified law enforcement. "The police were looking for him," Davis said.

Several hours went by before Hrynkiw's calls got through. "He finally called me and said, 'Where's the patient? What's the status?'" Davis said.

Not long after, Hrynkiw finally arrived at the hospital, met with the patient's family, and performed the surgery. The patient, who would've died without the procedure, is doing well and is expected to recover.

"This just speaks volumes to the dedication of the [Dr.Hrynkiw]," Davis said. "When I saw him, all I could say is 'you are a good man.'"

[Image of downtown Birmingham via AP]