God Leads Rescuers to Drowning Boy in Murky Waters
July 16, 2019
A drowning boy should have been impossible to find in the murky waters of the New Cody Reservoir. But God led a group of rescuers right to him in this real-life inspirational story!
16-year-old Ashton Johnson isn't the strongest swimmer. But thanks to a group of strangers and divine intervention, he's safe and sound after nearly drowning.
RELATED: Pool Drowning Warning Issued By Grieving Mom After Son Is Gone In ‘Mere Seconds’
Ashton was hanging out with friends on a concrete dock at the New Cody Reservoir, a popular body of water in Wyoming's Beck Lake Park. A floating dock was only about 30-feet away, so Ashton decided to swim out to it with his friends.
The teen boy made it to the dock with no problems. But after jumping back into the water to head back to the concrete dock, he suddenly found himself struggling to stay afloat. The boy realized he was at risk of drowning.
“Halfway through my legs couldn’t keep going,” Ashton recalled.
The drowning boy didn't panic. But he did tell his friends he was in trouble.
Exhaustion Takes Over As Teen Tries Staying Afloat
Ashton's friend, Michael Madson, tried to help. But Ashton continued to sink and started pulling Michael down, too. So, Michael took off to get a life preserver for his friend.
Because Ashton didn't have the energy to flail or cry out for help, the crowd of other people enjoying a day at the reservoir didn't recognize the danger until it was almost too late.
Lori Ungrund was on the shore with her family as some teens started searching for a life preserver. But it wasn't until Lori's sister, Emmi Dethlefs, started screaming that she realized it was because a boy was drowning.
Emmi's scream jerked everyone into action. Strangers started jumping in to try and help find the drowning boy, who had disappeared beneath the murky water.
Michael had swum back with the life preserver, but couldn't find Ashton. Another teen, Wilkins Radakovich (13) dove in off the railing of the dock as soon as he saw Ashton go under. Lori, a registered nurse, also dove in to help with the search, with several other strangers joining in as well.
Credit: Cody Enterprise/Lauren ModlerMeanwhile, Ashton Johnson had started giving up. With no strength left to fight, his body sunk to the bottom of the reservoir, 20 feet below the surface. The drowning boy resigned himself to the knowledge that his time was up.
“It’s terrifying at first, but once you go down in a bunch of water, it’s very peaceful, it’s relaxing,” he said.
Miraculous Rescue For Drowning Boy
The murky water of the reservoir made it next to impossible to find Ashton from above. But God still had plans for this young man's life. So, He led the rescuers to the right spot.
“I saw a white thing in water, it was his hand," Wilkins recalled.
The 13-year-old pulled Ashton up and quickly got help from the other rescuers.
“The water was so murky, how Wilkins found him was a miracle,” Lori said.
Lori also shared that she's not a strong swimmer, either. Yet, somehow, God gave her the strength to help pull the drowning boy to the shore. She says God was the one helping everyone with the rescue.
Finding and getting Ashton to the shore was only the first miracle. Once there, things weren't looking good.
“All of these kids helped me carry him up,” Lori recalled. “I asked for towels and they brought towels to get him warm. Kids came from everywhere. He was white, not responsive ... his mouth was blue.”
RELATED: Drowning Man Says A Prayer And Then God Responds In An Unexpected Way
But before Lori, a registered nurse, had a chance to start performing CPR, Ashton suddenly started spitting up water. He then told everyone he was okay.
Community Credits Divine Intervention
Ashton assured everyone he was fine, but an ambulance took him to the hospital to be sure. The drowning boy's friends called his mom, Heather Rogers, to let her know about the close call.
When Heather arrived at the hospital, a preacher asked to pray with her and her son. And Heather has no doubt the Lord is to thank for her son's safety.
“All of this occurred, and God was there the whole time,” she said.
Credit: Cody Enterprise/Lauren ModlerAfter the incident, Ashton was just fine. In fact, he was back in the water the same day. And the close call reminded him just how much he had to live for.
"I never knew how much I enjoyed life until now," he said after the rescuers got him out of the water and conscious again.
And the drowning boy's miraculous recovery not only impacted him, but everyone at the reservoir that day.
“It was as close as you can get without dying,” Lori Ungrund said. She went on to write on social media, “I believe Ashton’s second chance at life is a true miracle, and I believe everyone who witnessed this would also agree.”
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Teen Paige Winter Prayed As A Shark Dragged Her Under & Here’s The Story Of How She Survived
One of the most beautiful things from the rescue is how everyone united to save Ashton. It just goes to show the miracles God can work through us when we all work together.
“It was the community that came together,” said Heather Rogers, Ashton's mom. “I wouldn’t have my son right now if wasn’t for them.”
h/t: Cody Enterprise
Featured Image: Unsplash/Tim Marshall
Today's Devotional
A Prayer for Celebrating God's Faithfulness in Hard Times - Your Daily Prayer - January 22
If you're facing a hard time, ask God to remind you of his love for you. Look and cling to the promises in His Word and ask others to pray for you during this season. We all need each other.
Today's Devotional
A Prayer for Celebrating God's Faithfulness in Hard Times - Your Daily Prayer - January 22
If you're facing a hard time, ask God to remind you of his love for you. Look and cling to the promises in His Word and ask others to pray for you during this season. We all need each other.
Past Stories
- Dad Whose Daughter Died After Transplant Gives Kidney to Another Little Girl
- Musician is Reunited With Letterman Jacket, 30 Years After Ordering It Back in High School
- Twin Brothers Both Pop the Question Just Days Apart, Without Planning to Do So
- Girl Scout Saves Her Dad's Life Just 11 Days After Learning CPR
- This 100 Year Old Kentucky Centenarian Works At Home Depot, Offering Great Tips For a Long Life
- Woman Married 82 Years Has a Very Special Disney-Themed 100th Birthday Party
- Man Discovers 46 Year Old Christmas Present in the Wall of His Childhood Home
- 4 Year Old Twin Girls Are Heroes After Finding Retired Police Officers Wallet
- Her Cat Was Missing For 7 Years, But She Finally Came Back Home
- Delta Held a Plane So a Daughter Could Have One Last Goodbye With Her Dying Mother
- Even Through Dementia One Special Phrase Kept a Grandmother Connected to Her Husband
- Mom, Dad, and 6-Year-Old Daughter Are Heroes After Rescuing Woman From Overturned Car
- Couple Receive the Biggest Surprise Blessing After Cervical Cancer Diagnosis
- Old English Sheepdog Who Appears to Have Special Powers, Receives an Award
- 49 Years Later Daughter is Reunited With Birth Mother and Other Family After Taking DNA Test
- 22 Family Members Surprise Grandparents With a Fun Family Sleepover
- Scared Doodle Rescued From Thin Frozen New Jersey Lake With Help From Neighbors Drone
- Woman Caught in a Riptide is Saved by Fisherman's Hook
- Couple Finds Lost Ring In a Snowy Wonderland During Engagement Photo Shoot
- Jimmy Carter, 39th President, Passes Away at 100, Leaving Behind a Legacy of Service
- Kimberly Williams-Paisley Talks About Getting Her Voice Back After Losing It Two Years Ago
- 90-Year-Old From Oklahoma Is Rewarded For Going Out of His Way to Help Others
- Husband Decorates His Neighbors' Homes For Wife Who Loves Christmas
- Couple Befriend Older Neighbor After Hearing Music Coming From His Apartment
- California Man Carpools With Adult Children On His Very Last Day of Work Before Retirement
- Family of Three Grows To Seven Overnight With Birth of Quadruplets
- The World's Oldest Dog Spike the Chihuahua Turns 25 Years Old
- Christmas Tree Planted Back in 1979 Inspires and Unites a Small English Village
- Dick Van Dyke Turns 99 After Evacuating From a Wildfire and Welcoming His Lost Cat Back Home
- Santa and Mrs.Claus Continue to Spread Christmas Magic Even With Santa's MS Diagnosis
- Little Girl Gets a Big Elf On the Shelf Surprise Honoring the Little Brother Who Passed Away
- Little Boy From England With Leukemia Delivers Over 400 Christmas Gifts To Kids At the Hospital
- Gold Star Family Receives a Big Surprise That Will Change Their Lives Forever
- 8-Year-Old With Down Syndrome Is a Hero After Saving Sister From House Fire
- Man Paralyzed At 17 While Snowboarding Has Found True Love and a Wonderful Life
- His Wife Passed Away, Now Their Special Tree is the 2024 Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree
- Granddaughter Captures Last Words Between Grandparents, Married For 69 Years
- New York State Police Rescue Woman Needing a Heart Transplant Stranded in Snowstorm
- Born the Same Year the Titanic Sank, World's Oldest Man Dies at 112
- Family Receives Support From School and Community After Losing House in a Fire
- Soldier Reunites With His Military Dog Yyacob After Years Apart
- Chicago Man Discovers That The Owner Of The Bakery He Loved To Visit Was Actually His Mother
- Husband Pays For 40 Pet Adoptions At Shelter For His Wife's 40th Birthday
- Parents Find Healing After Loss of Son By Donating His Beloved Key Collection To Little Boy
- Mom Dances With Son At His Wedding After Being Placed in Hospice Care 2 Weeks Before
- Grandmother and Young Granddaughter Battling Cancer At the Exact Same Time
- Community Brings Christmas Joy to Virginia Woman With Just Weeks to Live
- Four Friends Recreate A Fun Vacation Photo From 50 Years Ago
- School in Arkansas Mourns the Loss of Their Beloved Emotional Support Dog Abby
- 93-Year-Old Has Made Sure To Attend Every High School Football Game Since 1946
Top Music Videos
CCM Magazine Oak Ridge Boys Singer William Lee Golden Shares How Group Has Navigated Recent Loss and Grief
The Statler Brothers 'Til the Storm Passes By' The Statler Brothers Live Performance
Casting Crowns ‘Good Good Father’ – Stunning Worship From Casting Crowns
Anne Wilson Anne Wilson 'The Cross' Powerful Lyric Video
toby mac TobyMac Drops ‘a Lil Church’ Official Lyric Video
Blogs
At GodTube, you’ll find daily inspirational videos to lift your spirits and encourage you in your walk with God. Popular videos include worship music from your favorite Christian artists, cute videos with adorable kids and animals, hilarious videos from Christian comedians, user-uploaded videos, and clean viral videos to brighten your day.