Excellent point.
Perhaps it isn’t an excellent point.
The Psalms tells us “whatever God wills, He does”.
It seems that in this case, He willed that the atheist should come to him—one that especially needed saving.
Note also that the “saved” person went on to provide God’s message to others.
This is not a story of poor choices. It is a moving story of God working in someone’s life.
As God says in Jeremiah “I have plans for you”.
We don’t have to be like the older brother in the parable of the Prodigal Son. Instead we need to always remember that there is rejoicing in heaven when a soul is saved.
Human choices alone do not become the criteria for saving grace.