Paranormal Aquatic Rescues: Two Remarkable Case Reports
Stathis Avramidis
Introduction: A Near-Death Experience is not the only form of paranormal activity that presents interest for the public and challenges the scholars. Literature is full of anecdotal accounts, most of which have taken place in aquatic settings after a life-threatening event such as drowning. Likewise, although rare, there have been at least two accounts of water rescues that involved a paranormal dimension published that merit attention. Account 1: A 20-year-old fisherman, was speared accidentally in the head, the spear entered at his jaw and protruded from the top of his skull, while he was swimming unaccompanied. He was rescued, admitted to the intensive care unit for an operation, remained in a coma for a few days and then had a full recovery. About 10 days before the rescue, he had visited a monk who had told him that he "should not be afraid of anything", rubbing the top of his skull and his jaw exactly at the points through which the 40-inch spear passed. After the incident, the monk prescience the exact day on which he would recover from the coma (Avramidis, 2013). Account 2: Jennifer Groesbeck, 25, when crossing a bridge, she hit a cement barrier and drove off the roadway. The car was discovered 14 hours later, by a fisherman. Four policemen plunged into the freezing water to see if they could find survivors. They said that they could see a person in the front seat and heard clearly the distinct sound of a woman’s voice saying "Help me, we're in here". They replied "hang in there, we’re trying what we can." They thought that someone was alive. Surprisingly, they found Jennifer dead and her 18-months old girl handing upside down in the car, without touching the water though. Four officers and three firefighters formed an assembly line in the freezing water and brought the child to shore. First responders started resuscitation. The baby regained consciousness in the hospital. The officers had no explanation for the mysterious voice that appeared to come from inside the car. One of them said that he wouldn’t believe it really happened had not the other officers heard it too. "I don’t know what I thought I heard. I’m not a typically religious guy. It’s hard to explain — it was definitely something. Where and why it came from, I’m not sure." he said (Landau, 2015). Summary: The monk’s prescience permitted the assumption that a divine spirit was pervasive throughout the universe and present in this life-threatening situation, endeavoring to assist the lifeguard, the neurosurgeons and the young fisherman. Similarly, the rescue of the girl raises the likelihood of the existence of a miracle as contributor to survival. Future research on whether a rescuer may be assisted by spiritual powers seems interesting.References: (1) Avramidis, S. (2013). Paranormal Experience in a Medico-Swimming Rescue: A Case Study. Journal of Religion and Health, 52(2), 408-417. (2) Landau, J. (2015). 'Mysterious voice' led Utah cops to discover child who survived for 14 hours in submerged car after mom drowned. Assessed on 16 June 2017 from: <http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/mysterious-voice-leads-police-baby-car-crash-article-1.2142732>
Citation: Avramidis, S. (2017). Paranormal Aquatic Rescues: Two Remarkable Case Reports. In: Avramidis S. (Ed.). Conference on Near-Death Experiences while Drowning (p. 19). Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, USA: International Swimming Hall of Fame.
