Dean W Life-threatening Event

Experience Description

Thanksgiving 2022 was a family vacation in St. Croix. On Tuesday, November 22, I, my wife Rose, and our oldest son Stephen decided to go check out the Annaly Bay / Carambola Tide Pools. It's a 2-mile hike through a rain forest and then a short scramble to the pools. If you look up things to do in St. Croix, this is on EVERY List. We did the hike, checked out the pools, and decided to begin our short journey back. Then disaster struck.

A succession of three rogue waves came out of nowhere. The first knocked me down and starting spinning me a round. The second wave threw me down a small hole in the bottom of the tidepool (think of a continually running toilet where the tide coming in fills it and tide going out empties it). The third wave deposited me in a place I can best describe as a pitch black closet space with a pocket where I could breathe. Here I am, trapped in the pitch dark with water up to my nipples, no idea where I was and no idea how to get out.

Turns out my son Stephen also got knocked down by the first two waves and saw where it took me. He was headed that way when he started to get pulled down the hole. He called out to his mom 'I am going die mom, save me.' With Stephen halfway in the blow hole, Rose was able to grab Stephen's arm and pull him to safety. For about ten minutes we called out to each other, but could not hear anything. When they saw my hat go out to sea, they realized I was dead. Luckily they decided they needed to get off the rocks that form the tide pools and get to the safety of the shore.

For the next 30 minutes, I stood in my 'grave' in the water with no idea how to get out and thinking two thoughts. One, my wife and son just saw me die. Two, I am going to die a slow, painful drowning death. I was trapped with no apparent way out in a place where the tide was starting to come up. Eventually there would be no air pocket to breath. I continually thought about trying to escape. But not knowing which way was out and how long the journey might be, I decided to stay perched on the ledge of rock I was on.

Unbeknownst to any of us at the time, a series of miracles was going to unfold to change the narrative.

As Rose and Stephen made it to the shore, two people they had talked to before, John and Amy, were still on the beach. They had a cell phone and were able to call 911 to initiate a body recovery. Twenty minutes or so later, Karl and Devron, two tours guides with Tan Tan Tours arrived. They had driven a group of customers down to see the pools, like they do numerous times weekly. Seeing the commotion, they came over to Rose. She explained the situation. Karl's words to her were, 'we are going to find him'. Having been at the pools 100s of times, they thought they knew the exact spot to go to. Abandoning their tour, they raced across the rocks to try to find me.

I had been in the air pocket for about 40 minutes when Karl and Devron came to the spot. By this time, I was extremely cold and worn out. I could barely hold my breath for 2 seconds. I had swallowed a lot of salt water. As the waves came into my space, they slammed me up against coral rock and then lifted me off the ground to bang my head on the rocks above me. Not to share too much, but I had abrasions over more than half my body, which makes it look like I had been in a motorcycle accident.

Risking his own wellbeing, Karl sticks his face into where he believes I might be and calls out to me. On his second try, I hear him and respond. He is stunned. He asks Devron to listen with him. On the third try they both hear me. We are now in a rescue operation. Devron jumps up and signals Rose and Stephen they found me. He takes off for the beach knowing they need a rope to pull me out. A stunned Rose and Stephen find out I am alive.

That is when Rescue worker Ben shows up. He happened to be in the area because he was taking his brother and his girlfriend to see the pools. Ben is a volunteer rescue person for St. Croix. Luckily for all of us, before he left home, Ben had decided to throw his rescue rope into his jeep not that he does that most of the time. That rope became my lifeline.

Karl continued to talk with me as best we could communicate while Devron brought Ben up to speed. The two of them navigate the rocks to come to me. Karl yells to me they are going to throw the rope to me. Mind you, I have no idea where they are. I think Karl's voice was to my left and behind me, but I do not know. With my severely degraded thinking skills and lack of oxygen from taking in so much salt water, I cannot think this through.

Somehow, I am supposed to find a rope they intend to throw down to me. I am in the pitch black dark. Water is swirling all around me. I am weak and tired. I don't even know the direction the rope will come from. Karl keeps talking to me the whole time, as we alternate speaking between the waves crashing in on me. Sometimes I cannot hear him and panic that they are gone. He has the same feeling about me.

Next miracle. The rope suddenly appears right in front of me floating on the water. I grab six different parts of the rope and hang on. Once I tell them I got it, they try to talk me through the process. I have to admit I was not very coherent at that time. My biggest fear was drowning as they dragged me out by the rope. I had no idea how far they were going to drag me. I knew that I could only last very few feet underwater. I could not hold my breath. How horrible would it be to drown after being found?

At some point, I literally reached the end of my rope and it was time to trust. Karl kept encouraging me. I have no memory of how or when, but I jumped into the water holding the rope and they pulled me out. The rescuers said from their perspective they first saw a finger, than an arm, and then grabbed me out of the hole.

Now firefighters Malik and Shumba arrived to help. Ben assumed command of me the patient. The five of them (Ben, Karl, Devron, Malik, Shumba) surround me on all sides to keep me from floating away and to try to get me warm. The five of them had never worked together yet they became a team in that moment. I was hypothermic, was covered in blood, and barely breathing. But I was able to respond verbally.

Another key piece of the puzzle was the arrival of Jason of the St. Croix Rescue Marine Command who took charge of getting me off the rocks. Because of the location I was on the rocks, it was not possible to carry me out. The decision was made to request a helicopter rescue from San Juan, Puerto Rico. That took 90 minutes to arrive. Jason is running back and forth to the shore (in bare feet) asking for shirts and towels while communicating with the helicopter.

Meanwhile, the half dozen of us on the rocks were getting periodically pummeled by waves. One person watched out for waves and warned the team they were coming. Everyone sacrificed their bodies to keep the waves from hitting me as much as they could. Most had lent me the shirts off their back to try to keep me warm. All the while, Karl held me from behind, Ben administered oxygen, and everyone kept talking to me to keep me from going into shock.

The helicopter arrived but it needed to take 8 loops to scan the area, look for the best place to connect, and allow the rescue swimmer to be safely deployed and lead the rescue. The rotor wash, the wind, and the bits of rock created from the helicopter really hurt. Finally, the Stokes basket was lowered from the helicopter. I was put in it and pulled up the ~200 feet into the helicopter. The helicopter flew me to the airport where an ambulance was waiting.

Arriving at the hospital, the doctors determined I did not have a lot of serious physical injuries. I had no broken bones. No internal injuries. No concussion. Despite having bad scrapes on 75% of my body, there were no major cuts. The only items that had to be addressed were a couple deep cuts on my head (from being banged against the rocks). I ended up with six small staples in my head.

After getting the tests and making the assessments, the health care team had a number of immediate concerns.

The first concern was my breathing and the state of my lungs. The oxygen from the tank that Ben had with him and brought to the rocks was very helpful. My blood oxygen level read at 99 when I got to the ED. This was a major surprise, and a good one. I had not suffered a loss of oxygen that could have been very detrimental to the rest of my body, especially my brain.

My lungs were in bad shape due to all of the salt water I swallowed. My breathing was shallow and labored. One number gives an indicator of how weak my breathing was. Normally, we take 12-17 breaths per minute. A rate over 24 breaths per minute indicates a very serious condition. I was at 44 breaths per minute on the rocks, nearly double 'very serious condition'. I was gasping for breath. Upon arrival at the ED, my rate was 36, still concerningly high.

The 6:24 p.m. CT scan of my lungs showed that I had a partial collapse of my right lung, along with fluid in both lungs. This needed to be addressed quickly to avoid pneumonia and further damage to my lungs.

The second concern was my blood sodium level, which registered at 161 (the Emergency Department doctor told me later, 'I have never seen a number that high in my life,'). The normal blood sodium level is 135 to 145 milli-equivalents/liter. This meant I was hypernatremic, too much sodium in the bloodstream. I was displaying typical symptoms of this: muscle weakness, restlessness, extreme thirst, confusion, lethargy, and irritability.

The most worrying complication of hypernatremia is the risk of water loss in brain cells, causing them to shrink, which could cause a cerebral hemorrhage leading to permanent brain damage or death. The protocol is to carefully lower my sodium levels, because doing it too fast or too slowly would increase the chance of complications.

Unfortunately for me, my hypernatremia meant I was not going to be allowed to drink any liquids. We could not put more liquids into me until we got my sodium a little more under control. I would eventually go nearly 24 hours without drinking anything.

The third concern was to mitigate the risk of infection in all of the abrasions. The only parts of my body without cuts were my face and my chest. Lying in bed covered in blankets, I might not have looked bad. But looking at my back, they could see I had so many cuts. Between the sea water and the particles from the rock, there was concern about infection.

The fourth concern was with 'secondary drowning', a dangerous complication of a drowning close call that can develop up to 48 hours later. This most often happens if water gets into the lungs. When in the lungs, the water can irritate the lungs’ lining and fluid can build up. When there is a large amount of fluid in the lungs, it can limit the lungs’ ability to properly inflate and oxygenate the blood, sometimes to the point of respiratory failure.

Fifth was my electrolyte (sodium, calcium, potassium, chlorine, phosphate, and magnesium) imbalance. Electrolytes help your body's blood chemistry, muscle action, electrical stimulation, and other processes. When the electrolytes are out-of-balance, like mine were, there is a greater risk for heart attack or stroke.

Lastly, my vital signs showed how out of whack my body was. My blood pressure was 188/92 (normal is 120/80). My pulse rate was 122; my normal pulse rate is in the 50s. They needed to be monitored continually. Only the medical professionals understood how many things could go wrong to cause permanent damage. I was in no condition to understand them. We did not know how high I was at risk of stroke, cerebral hemorrhage, pneumonia, etc.

Miraculously, I was discharged 2 and a half days after admittance.

Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date NDE Occurred: 11/22/2022

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? No. Accident Life threatening event, but not clinical death

How do you consider the content of your experience? Entirely pleasant

Did you feel separated from your body? No No

How did your highest level of consciousness and alertness during the experience compare to your normal everyday consciousness and alertness? More consciousness and alertness than normal I believe my subconscious took over. I probably exhibited negative panic. I did not act rashly. I did not act unthinkingly. While staying in the same spot held a near-certainty of death, no valid option appeared to make me change my thinking. My subconscious reaction ended up being the right one. If I would have tried to escape, I would have certainly drowned. I never would have had the strength to pull myslef out of the whole without other's help

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? For the 40 minutes I was trapped underwater with no one knowing I was alive. I was very present on my situation and circumstances. While my survival was hopeless, I never gave up hope

Were your thoughts speeded up? No

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? Time seemed to go faster or slower than usual It was a long, slow time trapped in the hole. Time seemed to go very slowly. The water was not rising very quickly, so i knew it would be a long time until the place I was trapped fully came under water.

Were your senses More vivid than usual? More vivid than usual

Please compare your vision during the experience to your everyday vision that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. I was in pitch black darkness, so I could not see with my eyes. But the reality of the situation was very clear to me beacuse I was fully awake and fully aware during that time in the hole.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. It was absolute silence in the hole, other than the waves crashing in. I listened intently for a human voice.

Did you seem to be aware of things going on elsewhere? No

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? No

Did you see any beings in your experience? No

Did you see, or feel surrounded by, a brilliant light? No

Did you see an unearthly light? No

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? No

What emotions did you feel during the experience? Hopelessness, Disappointment, Sadness, Loneliness

Did you have a feeling of peace or pleasantness? No

Did you have a feeling of joy? No

Did you feel a sense of harmony or unity with the universe? No

Did you suddenly seem to understand everything? No

Did scenes from your past come back to you? No

Did scenes from the future come to you? No

Did you come to a border or point of no return? No

God, Spiritual and Religion:

What was your religion prior to your experience? Christian- Catholic. While I identify as Catholic and go to church weekly, my Catholic faith is not strong due to issues with many stances the Catholic Church takes. I go to church to support my wife

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? No

What is your religion now? Christian- Catholic No change

Did your experience include features consistent with your earthly beliefs? Content that was entirely consistent with the beliefs you had at the time of your experience. I was focused on surviving

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes I originally though God selects a few people for making a difference (Moses, Mary, Samuel, Noah, Etc.). I now believe that He reaches to many of us. Some of us are not able to hear His voice. Or we are too overwhelmed with other things or too busy to listen. Perhaps we don't have an Eli to recognize for us that God is calling. I know I have been called and I understand that does not make me extraordinary. It just means I am the right person at the right time to do my little bit. I never felt that way before this event.

Did you seem to encounter a mystical being or presence, or hear an unidentifiable voice? No

Did you see deceased or religious spirits? No

Did you encounter or become aware of any beings who previously lived on earth who are described by name in religions (for example: Jesus, Muhammad, Buddha, etc.)? No

During your experience, did you gain information about premortal existence? No

During your experience, did you gain information about universal connection or oneness? No

During your experience, did you gain information about the existence of God? No

Concerning our Earthly lives other than Religion:

During your experience, did you gain special knowledge or information about your purpose? No

During your experience, did you gain information about the meaning of life? No

During your experience, did you gain information about an afterlife? No

Did you gain information about how to live our lives? No

During your experience, did you gain information about life's difficulties, challenges and hardships? No

During your experience, did you gain information about love? No

What life changes occurred in your life after your experience? Large changes in my life. My thinking took a lot of twists and turns. What I originally believed to be true often was modified as time, knowledge, and reflection occurred. I was reminded, again-and-again, that life is a mystery. What we think is probably the truth when we initially consider it is not necessarily the only truth. I don’t hold the answers. I get to choose what I want to be the final answer–for me. I do not believe God chose to save me. But some people think He did. That is something I did not initially agree with, but now I have come to understand that is important to some people. I do believe I have been given a calling by God and I get to choose how I use that calling in my own way. That is uplifting.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? I cherish every day with my wife. We have been married 40 years and have a great relationship. Here is one VERY important ritual we do every day. We call it 'The Hug'. What is The Hug? Rose and I make sure we have a meaningful hug every day of the year. Not a short, 'I am thinking about other things I need to do' hug. Not a passing, 'shoulders touching but not actually connecting' hug. Nope. To meet the goal, it needs to be a real, 'I love you and acknowledge that you mean a lot to me' hug. It has to last at least ten seconds long. our focus needs to be in one place – hugging the other. I can feel her body breathing and relaxing as we hug. A strong, lasting connection, every time. Yes

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? No

How accurately do you remember the experience in comparison to other life events that occurred around the time of the experience? I remember the experience more accurately than other life events that occurred around the time of the experience It was such a shock to be in this position. One moment I am walking in water up to my shins. The next I am in a hole, underwater, not knowing where I was. Since I was in the hole for 40 minutes, I had a lot of time to try to figure out the hole, what it looked and like and try t0 devise ways of getting out.

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience? Yes I am much more patient. I am willing to be more understanding. I chose to be more positive. All of these might not be special in their own right, but added up, they make a different me.

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you? Ordinary people were presented with a chance to perform small miracles to save me. And then did. The goodness inside of people is often hidden until they are asked to act. I cherish all of the people who saved me and I am doing things to honor them

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes I shared it 3 days after it happened. They were all shocked and all had a similar message, 'you made my bad experiences not seem nearly so bad'

Did you have any knowledge of near death experience (NDE) prior to your experience? No

What did you believe about the reality of your experience shortly (days to weeks) after it happened? Experience was definitely real I've talked about and it reflect on it so much that it becomes richer. I have written a book about the experience and I interviewed a lot of people involved to get the full story.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real. Same note as above

At any time in your life, has anything ever reproduced any part of the experience? No

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