Experience description:

On the morning of September 3, 2003 at 8 am in the morning I scurried my daughter to our family car, a 1995 Ford Thunderbird, and we were late getting her to school. She was supposed to be there at 8am. But this weather, it was pouring buckets and buckets of rain. We received 3 to 6 ft of rain that morning.

We walk out to the car, running to avoid the downpour, the wind carries off my umbrella, and we get her in her safety seat, bc she was under 80lbs or 8 years old, the law in our state that if under these 2 she had to be in a child restraint seat. She was 7 and 68 lbs.

We try to go out the way across the dam but the spillway was raging water, so I back up and turn around at the park and head out the long way around the whole lake and more residential area until we met the highway. So on our way, less than a tenth of a mile from the house was a low water bridge that was covered in about 3ft of rolling water. I drive thru it, get across and the car starts sputtering like it's going to die. So I continue on down lakeside, and get to the first intersection. To the left was another low water bridge that had even more water over it, raging across, so I take a right and proceed to make my way thru the entire community of Ozark Acres in Arkansas. It's a small community of people with 2 lakes and a marina and beach for kids to swim at with a playground and place to have cookouts. We proceed to the next intersection I take a left and get a little ways down the hill and the road is covered with more water. I'm terrified now to drive thru any because the car almost died once, I'm not risking it again. So I turn around in the road, there is no traffic but me, and I go up to the fire station to make a call from my cell phone to my husband at the time. We have long been divorced since this incident occurred. So I call him to tell him what's going on and he says hold on, he's in the area, and he will check the car out. So we wait  making small talk as we always did, my daughter and I.

He arrived and said, just get in the passenger side and I will drive you home, she don't have to go to school today. I'm not so sure about this, but ride along until we get to the first bridge at the turn off  it looked higher than before, we had only been at the fire station 30 minutes, is that possible, I guess so. Then we approach the bridge by the house and its enraged with energy, flowing like a miniature river in front of us, it looked higher too. I say, it's higher than when I drove thru, please don't drive thru it, let's just wait till the water goes down. He says no, no, it will be fine, and I pleaded just let me and her out and you can do whatever, but he would not succumb. I see this gush of water come down the hill on the drivers side as soon as our front tires hit the other side and our back ones hit the water, I felt it lift up, and all I could do is look at my beautiful creation, my daughter, and say oh no.

It went down on the passenger side, my side first, sideways, water pushing the car over like a matchbox toy car. It flipped side over side 2 times and end over end once before it landed on a tree that was holding it stopped. All I remember was hitting my chest on the armrest, I didn't have a seat belt on and neither did he. It landed upside down under 5 to 6 ft of water and us three trapped inside.

His boss Chris was behind us because he was going to retrieve my husband at that te, after he delivered us to the house. I thought he was capable of making life or death decisions beings he was a first aid responder to accidents and a fire fighter. I was wrong that day, and never felt safe with him again. Our marriage basically ended that day, in my opinion.

When we landed I came to, darkness surrounding me, no light at all, this loud roaring noise of something, was it water, oh yeah. I started screaming in utter and sheer panic. I felt the triangle window, stuck my arm up to my elbow, which is about 5 inches, completely underwater. Where am I, I wonder. I realize I'm in the drivers side passenger floorboard with my head touching the floor carpet and my feet on the roof. I suddenly panic, and wonder where's my daughter. Oh yeah she's right here in here safety seat, but oh no she's underwater. I managed to get the car seat undone and I had the main seat belt not her harness and clamp. I said find her save her now, he was gurgling water, had a leg pinned between the roof and headrest. Now you got to remember, he was a huge fan of domestic violence toward me.

I hear mommy, mommy crying in a save me please voice. I grabbed her and she latched her legs around my waist. I was 5'2 110 lbs back then, but I wasn't about to put her down. I was afraid the car was going to shift before we could get out, and I knew somehow, I needed him to help us get out because the door would have tremendous water pressure against it, and the fact that he was a living, breathing, human being and I couldn't not help him. As her and I were sitting there looking for a way out, a bright light shined onto the area a lot lower than where the gear shifter was. Remember upside down car, deeply shocking to experience at that moment. Anyway, this light hovered for a moment and I felt peace and knew all was going to be ok, it hovered over to the door handle and instantly I knew, I had to pull him out so he could push open that heavy door to begin with, on top of 5 to 6 ft of water rushing against it.

So I know all this knowledge in a couple seconds. I pull him out by his ears, grabbing his head and saying go that way, because he was gurgling and saying his goodbyes while her and I seen this light. So I get him out and up into the front of the car and directing him straight up a little, go left, halfway up youuour body will be the handle. In an instant I knew all this knowledge and how to get two people out of a flooded car. As soon as he opened the door he made steady himself, I said ok take her now, and as soon as he opened that door his boss was standing there  with an orange power cord around his body, tied to a tree and was shocked to see his employee, then my daughter, I sent her out next, in case the car shifted, I would die knowing she was alive and ok.

So they walk to the edge of the water on wet but drier land and collapse. He came back to get me, and I was out waiting on him as he walked them across. As I look back now I wonder why he didn't send me and her out first, then save himself to tackle the car If it flipped some more, I mean he did cause the accident. I begged him not to drive through it. I get these feelings, still to this day, and I know whether to go or not to go or whatever the situation.

When his boss came back for me, I collapsed as soon as he grabbed me. I don't know what came over me.

He is boss had stopped at the neighbors house and said call 911 there's just been a car accident and described it. They slowed down on the way because they thought it was going to be a body retrieval situation only. Dead bodies. She was a rn and to her surprise and his bosses we were all alive somehow. By the grace of something way more powerful than just us, I believe. We get to the neighbors house and she has us jump in the shower bc we are all muddy and leaves all over our bodies. She gave us clean sweats and a gown for my daughter. The ambulance got there soon after and I was suffering lower back pain. I guess from being thrown around in that car, I call the tomb, but they strapped me down to that board and every ounce of my body screamed no along with me, I panicked and wouldn't let them take me. I said I would visit my own doctor soon, which was an accidental lie bc I didn't set foot in a vehicle for almost 3 months after the accident. I was terrified I wouldn't be so lucky next time.

So we leave the neighbors house bc the water had subsided and the tv station shows up along with a newspaper for the state, and several a phone calls from various town local newspapers wanting the story. I freely gave it out.

Then woman's world Magazine and guideposts Magazine contacted us and wanted to do our story. I was still auto-piloting most things but made sure the story's were as close to as I could remember even if they did put that he wrote it. I still have all the edits I did to the stories in my nightstand next to me.

He and I divorced a couple years after this, I didn't trust him anymore, and the domestic violence was way out of hand. He made a police report I was trying to kill him and he needed their protection. If I had wanted him dead, I would not have saved him in the car that cold, dark, illuminating day. Many things rose to my attention that day.

My daughter and I suffer from some mental disorders due to mild traumatic brain injury that we suffered from the accident and being under water less than three minutes. I have 8 disorders, she has 4 disorders from that split second decision he made. Now I'm in the process of forgiving him, for that, for me and my family now. I am remarried to my high school love, we have 4 kids together, 7 grandkids, and my mommy and daddy and grandma and momma.

At the time of your experience was there an associated life-threatening event?   Yes  Flash flooding was occurring at the time of my car accident.

Was the experience difficult to express in words?  No    

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness?      After I came too, and got my daughter out from her car seat and in my arms.

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 had instant knowledge of how and what to do to get us all out of that tomb of a car.

Please compare your vision during the experience to your everyday vision that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience.   Normal slow vision without picture movies showing Me things

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience.   My hearing is actually pretty terrible because I've been hit in the ears.

Did you see or hear any earthly events that were occurring during a time that your consciousness / awareness was apart from your physical / earthly body?   Uncertain   I don't understand this question.

What emotions did you feel during the experience?   Scared, fear, sad, urgency of leaving the closed in space. I guess anxiety, panic attacks.  

Did you pass into or through a tunnel?   No  

Did you see an unearthly light?   Yes   Yes, a bright grey light showed me how to get my family, at the time, out of the car.

Did you seem to encounter a mystical being or presence, or hear an unidentifiable voice?   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.)?      

Did you encounter or become aware of any deceased (or alive) beings?   No  

Did you become aware of past events in your life during your experience?   No  

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world?   A clearly mystical or unearthly realm
As far as feeling wise, I felt utter and total peace and happiness and knew when the light shown that we were going to live thru this, somehow.

Did time seem to speed up or slow down?   Time seemed to go faster or slower than usual
Time went slower. I didn't realize we were only under for 30 seconds then trapped in that car about a minute or 2.

Did you suddenly seem to understand everything?   Everything about the universe
I just knew all was well, and I knew exactly how to get us out and I had no training as a fireman or EMT or extreme sports.

Did you reach a boundary or limiting physical structure?   Uncertain
Don't understand this question.

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

Did scenes from the future come to you?  No 

During your experience, did you encounter any specific information / awareness suggesting that there either is (or is not) continued existence after earthly life (“life after death”)?   No  

During your experience, did you encounter any specific information / awareness that God or a supreme being either does (or does not) exist?   Yes   A bright grey light showed when there should be been darkness, and gave me knowledge how to get all of us out of the car too.

During your experience, did you encounter any specific information / awareness that you either did (or did not) exist prior to this lifetime?   No  

During your experience, did you encounter any specific information / awareness that a mystical universal connection or unity/oneness either does (or does not) exist?   Yes   Mystical universal connevtion

During your experience, did you encounter any specific information / awareness regarding earthly life’s meaning or purpose?   No  

During your experience, did you encounter any specific information / awareness regarding earthly life’s difficulties, challenges, or hardships?   No  

During your experience, did you encounter any specific information / awareness regarding love?   No  

During your experience, did you encounter any other specific information / awareness that you have not shared in other questions that is relevant to living our earthly lives?   No  

Did you have a sense of knowing special knowledge or purpose?   Yes   It made me able, a young girl, 22, 5 ft 2 in, 110lb be able to save all three of us in that car tomb that day.

What occurred during your experience included:   Content that was both consistent and not consistent with the beliefs you had at the time of your experience   I didn't know a power greater than us truly existed until that day. I gm had faith before but that day I knew something greater than us are in charge of things on earth.

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 th   Over the years more things have surfaced that showed me I was in the right in my description of the outcome of that day, the other stories my ex narrarated with me. This is my story first time told.

My experience directly resulted in:   Large changes in my life

Did you have any changes in your values or beliefs after the experience that occurred as a result of the experience?   Yes   I believe there is a power greater than just earthly life and that there is a God and an afterlife does exist.

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience?   Yes   I hear things, see movie reels of things, get gut feelings, know whether someone is good or bad upon meeting them.

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you?     I was led back to the love of my life, and am in therapy all the time working on my PTSD from this accident and the anxiety attacks I have in enclosed spaces, like cars. Can't travel much in a vehicle still.

Have you ever shared this experience with others?   Yes  Yes I have always shared my story and it has given people hope that something else greater than us is out there like god and the afterlife. It's a huge part of my life.

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   Same as I do now.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience at the current time:   Experience was definitely real   I know what I saw, felt, and knowledge was given to me that day because I told God I wasn't coming out of the car without my daughter alive.

Have your relationships changed specifically as a result of your experience?   Yes   I don't trust easy. I look for bad in people more to see if they are horrible and truly worthy of my short time on this earth because I've encountered a lot of crappy people on this earth in my short 40 years.

Have your religious beliefs/spiritual practices changed specifically as a result of your experience?   Yes   I pray all the time and talk to my hp daily.

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

Is there anything else that you would like to add about your experience?   No

Did the questions asked and information that you provided accurately and comprehensively describe your experience?   Yes