100 Feet from Death: Flood of Miracles (Part Two) | Ep. 41

Summary

The Miracle Files: Episode Summary

Title: 100 Feet from Death: Flood of Miracles (Part Two)
Release Date: August 11, 2025
Host: Holly Worthington & Emily Jones
Episode Number: 41

---

Introduction

In Episode 41 of The Miracle Files, hosts Holly Worthington and Emily Jones delve deeper into a gripping true story of survival, faith, and divine intervention. Building upon the suspense of Part One, this episode chronicles the harrowing experience of the Greenberg family during a sudden flash flood and the miraculous events that followed.

---

Recap of Part One

The episode opens with a brief recap, setting the stage for the intense rescue mission that unfolds. The Greenberg family, while hiking, faces an unexpected and rapidly rising flash flood. As water levels surge, Zach Greenberg, a spirited 12-year-old, finds himself clinging to a precarious ledge, while his father, Rich Greenberg, desperately attempts to save him.

Notable Quote:
Rich Greenberg [02:14]: "I see Zach slip. It felt like someone really strong and powerful shoved me from behind. Now Marla and I are fighting for our lives in heavy rapids."

---

The Dangerous Situation

As the water continues to rise, Rich realizes the dire consequences if Zach were to fall back into the river. The rapid's ferocity is compounded by a sheer waterfall looming just 100 feet downstream, making survival almost impossible.

Notable Quote:
Rich Greenberg [08:32]: "There's a big drop, a waterfall that's only about 100 foot downstream. If he gets back in that river, he's not gonna survive it."

---

Desperate Rescue Efforts

With time running out, Rich, a pediatric emergency medicine physician, springs into action, managing his fear to prioritize his son's safety. Alongside a group of hikers, including Mike's mother Karen and her partner Nino, Rich strategizes to keep Zach steady on the ledge while seeking external help.

Notable Quote:
Rich Greenberg [06:17]: "I want to drop to my knees and cry and thank God. But I didn't want to scare Zach, so I told him I loved him and that he had to stay still."

---

Miraculous Intervention and Rescue

Amidst the chaos, Aaron Hawthorne, an expert outdoorsman and rescue worker, arrives on the scene. His timely intervention becomes the turning point of this ordeal. Despite treacherous conditions, Aaron employs his skills to reach Zach, culminating in a daring helicopter rescue that defies the odds.

Notable Quote:
Zach Greenberg [30:42]: "I don't know how I got onto this ledge. It's definitely a miracle. Somehow God blessed me with angels and strength to sit still."

Notable Quote:
Aaron Hawthorne [21:23]: "I couldn't just stand there and watch as the river level rose. I had to act."

---

Aftermath and Impact

The rescue not only saves Zach but also influences the local community's support for the Air Rescue team. Initially facing potential defunding, the heroic efforts witnessed by Rich and Zach lead to a unanimous decision by the county council to continue funding the vital rescue operations.

Notable Quote:
Rich Greenberg [37:17]: "It's a reminder that God exists and that God is real and that God is good."

---

Interviews and Reflections

The episode features heartfelt interviews with key participants:

• Aaron Hawthorne recounts the challenges and split-second decisions during the rescue, highlighting the unpredictability and danger involved.

• Zach Greenberg shares his perspective as a young survivor, emphasizing the divine strength that enabled him to stay calm and hold onto the ledge despite his hyperactive nature.

Notable Quote:
Aaron Hawthorne [33:38]: "We got people into the outhouse, kept the fire going, and supported each other through a long, cold night."

---

Conclusion

100 Feet from Death: Flood of Miracles (Part Two) is a powerful testament to human resilience, selflessness, and faith. The Greenberg family's ordeal underscores the belief that miracles can emerge in the darkest of times, reaffirming the show's mission to highlight the light and divine intervention in true crime narratives.

Final Reflection:
Holly Worthington [37:48]: "It’s a story of strength, of family, and a moment where everything could have ended very differently, but for the heroic individuals and God."

---

Additional Resources

For those moved by this story, Rich Greenberg has authored a book titled Surviving a Miracle, offering an in-depth account of the events.

Contact:
If you have a miracle to share, reach out to [e-mail] or find The Miracle Files on Facebook.

Stay Connected:
Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform and YouTube to catch upcoming episodes and exclusive video content.

---

The Miracle Files continues to inspire and uplift, reminding listeners that amidst darkness, there is always light and hope.

Transcript

[Rich Greenberg]

Mmm. Oh.

[Emily Jones]

Whatcha eating?

[Zach Greenberg]

The new banana split cookie from AM pm All freshly baked with real butter with banana, chocolate and strawberry flavors.

[Emily Jones]

Wow, that sounds amazing. Can I have a bite?

[Zach Greenberg]

I'm sorry, but no. But you can't split the banana split.

[Rich Greenberg]

Not even a little.

[Zach Greenberg]

Not even a crumb.

[Emily Jones]

What if.

[Zach Greenberg]

No, please.

[Rich Greenberg]

Mine.

[Zach Greenberg]

When it's too legit to split. That's cravenience. Get a 3 pack for 99 cents with our app ampm. Too much good stuff. Plus tax where applicable. Prices and participation may vary. Terms and conditions apply.

[Emily Jones]

Zach looked so precarious perched there on the ledge, doing his best to hold still. Every few minutes, Zach would get restless and move just slightly. And just slightly was all it could take to end up back in the river. Rich wasn't sure how much longer Zach could hang on.

[Rich Greenberg]

As a 12 year old boy, he had never held still a moment in his life. And I forced in his mind, you have to sit still. You cannot afford to go in.

[Emily Jones]

The water level was rising, getting closer and closer to Zach's tiny ledge. Rich's heart pounded as he realized if Zach fell back in, there would be no more chances.

[Rich Greenberg]

There's a big drop, a waterfall that's only about 100 foot downstream. And if he gets back in that river, he's not gonna survive it.

[Emily Jones]

This is the Miracle Files. I'm Emily Jones.

[Holly Worthington]

And I'm Holly Worthington. We're two sisters who love a captivating true story. But we're also seeking more light in our lives.

[Emily Jones]

So we're on a mission to find and share unforgettable, uplifting stories of God's miracles. We hope you'll join us on this journey.

[Holly Worthington]

Welcome back to the Miracle Files. We've already made you wait long enough to see how this story ends, so we're just going to jump right into it. But first, here's a recap of part one.

[Rich Greenberg]

We saw part of the waterfall, but you could almost not see it because the wind just started howling.

[Emily Jones]

They hurried to cross the stream, but unbeknownst to the Greenbergs, the water level was rising rapidly as unseen rain poured down from the distant mountains above.

[Rich Greenberg]

And out of the corner of my eye, in my peripheral vision, I see Zach slip. And in essence, it felt like someone really strong and powerful shoved me from behind. And now Marla, who's in the backpack with me, and me and my son Zach are now fighting for our lives in heavy rapids. Further downstream, I saw a man standing on the riverbank. And I screamed as loud as I could. Help. I had no idea what was happening with Marla. Mike got in the river and he extends this nine foot extendable tripod.

[Emily Jones]

Rich managed to grasp hold of the tripod. Mike pulled with all of his might, dragging Rich across the river to the shore.

[Rich Greenberg]

I rip off the backpack.

[Emily Jones]

Miraculously, Marlo was still in the backpack.

[Rich Greenberg]

And I just hand her in the backpack to these total strangers because I'm now panicked about my son.

[Emily Jones]

Racing down the trail, Rich pleaded with God to help his son.

[Marla Greenberg]

That called aloud to God, please God, don't let him die. Please God, don't let him die.

[Aaron Hawthorne]

All right, here is Flood of Miracles Part 2.

[Emily Jones]

A hidden current, a sudden pull, one misstep, and Zach was gone. Rich Greenberg watched helplessly as a powerful flash Flood dragged his 12 year old son Zach down downstream. The churning water pulled Zach under, leaving only his head visible in the rapids. In the now turbulent river, Zach fought the current to no avail. He saw a couple of adults shouting to him from the shore, but it was impossible to reach them. He clawed at slippery rocks and stray branches, but the rushing water tore him away every time. His strength was fading fast. Up the river on the hiking trail, Rich ran barefoot after his son. His heart pounded like thunder in his chest, his desperation mounting. He knew all too well how treacherous this river was. He cried out to God as he ran, pleading with his whole heart for a miracle. Down the trail, Rich found Mike's mom, Karen, and her partner Nino. They had seen Zach in the river.

[Rich Greenberg]

And had chased after him as Zach was floating downstream. They were running alongside the best they could, telling him, keep your legs up so that he wouldn't make contact with the boulders in the river. And so as I came across them, I was screaming frantically, have you seen my son? Have you seen my boy?

[Emily Jones]

There was something unsettling about the expressions on Karen's and Nino's faces. A look of horror mixed with wonder.

[Rich Greenberg]

And they said, he's over there. And they point across the river. And now the river's swollen. It's a good 30 to 40ft across. And on the opposite side of the river there's a several hundred foot rock wall that's nearly vertical. It's unclimbable and it's just covered with shrubs and vines and greenery. And inset to this wall is a tiny little ledge.

[Marla Greenberg]

And there, sitting on that ledge, but only by the power of God, is my son.

[Rich Greenberg]

With his glasses intact, Rich blinked in.

[Emily Jones]

Shock at the sight of his son. How could it be in the midst of a raging river? Zach had somehow grabbed hold of a moss covered ledge several feet above him and pulled his body up onto made no logical sense. And yet somehow Zach sat there, squatting on the ledge, his backpack still on, only missing one shoe, his and his glasses even, still propped on his nose. An overwhelming wave of relief washed over Rich. The tightness in his chest relaxed for a moment, his breathing returned. But then another question hit Rich with more power than the torrential current. What now?

[Rich Greenberg]

And I'm in total emotional wreck. I want to drop to my knees and cry and thank God. But I knew I didn't want to scare Zach, and so I told him I loved him. I told him I was so proud of him. I told him he had to stay still, that he couldn't fall back in the river.

[Emily Jones]

Unfortunately, Rich wasn't sure how much Zach could hear over the roar of the rapids. Soon a few other hikers joined Rich, staring at Zach in dismay. Mike and Stacy brought Marla and joined the onlookers. Suddenly a thought struck Rich. What must his wife be thinking? She had to be terrified. He darted back up the trail to where the boulder stood out of the water that had stopped him and Marla. There he saw his wife, Carrie, standing on the other side of the river, her face pale with worry. She was now trapped with Samantha and their friend Steve, along with some other hikers, and couldn't cross the river. Rich shouted to them, and so I.

[Rich Greenberg]

Told them, Zach is alive and and she said, you're sure? I said, Zach's alive and that's all I said. I didn't tell her anything else. I was totally out of my mind and you could just see the emotion that she had, not knowing and the relief that she had. So I ran back downstream and totally out of my mind. I could focus on one thing and one thing only, and that was the safety of my son. Here was my young daughter with special needs. She was 3, but she was probably the size of a 14, 15 month old, shivering in a diaper, sopping wet. And I'm a pediatric emergency medicine physician and nothing registered and all these people said we got to get her out of the clothes. They stripped her down, they donated all their gear, they gave me some of their shoes, they wrapped her in fleece blankets and then they said, we're gonna send our two fastest runners, Jessica and Joanna, who are sisters, down to get help for your son. And so they took off running.

[Emily Jones]

Rich looked across the river, relieved to see the Zack hanging on, but fear still coursed through Rich like a freight train. The water level was rising, getting closer and closer to Zach's tiny ledge. Rich's heart pounded as he realized if Zach fell back in, there would be no more chances. The rapids were terrifying enough, but lurking down the river was something more deadly.

[Rich Greenberg]

There's a big drop, a waterfall that's only about 100 foot downstream. And if he gets back in that river, he's not going to survive it. We had gone over a couple of falls, a small and a medium drop on our way, but this was a big fall that he couldn't survive.

[Emily Jones]

And then things went from bad to worse.

[Marla Greenberg]

The storm that had moved from above.

[Rich Greenberg]

The waterfall now had come full force. And so it was pouring harder than I knew it could rain. And there were huge gusts of winds, and the noise was. Was deafening because you had the river and the wind and the rain. And Mike and Stacy offered to take Marla with them. And they said, you know, we're gonna go get her help. You can trust us. And I said, I trust you. You saved my life. But I just have this feeling that I need to keep my daughter with me. And they said, yeah. But he said, you know, I have a little bit of medical experience. I think she needs to be checked out. And I said, thank you so much, but I'm a pediatric emergency medicine physician. I can see she's okay. I just know she needs to be with me. And so I kept her there. They went downstream, and about an hour later, Jessica and Joanna came back.

[Emily Jones]

Rich looked at the two young women, hoping they'd found help. Unfortunately, they had bad news.

[Rich Greenberg]

They said, we went to the next river crossing, and we can't cross it. It's too dangerous, so we can't get help for your son.

[Emily Jones]

Rich's heart sank. Once again, he was faced with the brutal truth. There was no nothing he could do to help his son. And time was running out.

[Rich Greenberg]

And I know at some point it's going to get dark and a bad situation is going to get worse. And, you know, I was sitting on this rock with Marla, bundled in these fleece, pouring rain, trying to keep her under there. Just praying and praying and praying and talking to Zach as much as I could. I was singing to Marla near continuously, her favorite song. Heavenly Father, are you really there? Do you hear and answer every child's prayer? Praying, trying not to let Zach see me cry if I needed to cry. I peeked my head under the fleece with Marla, started sobbing really quick, only to have Marla touch my face and say, okay, Daddy.

[Marla Greenberg]

Okay, Daddy. Give me a little pep talk.

[Rich Greenberg]

And then I'd Pull my head out and talk to Zach.

[Emily Jones]

The hikers took turns doing all they could to keep Marla dry. One of the hikers tried to get Rich to cover himself as well with one of the fleece blankets.

[Rich Greenberg]

He tried to get me to cover myself, but I wouldn't. I was like, all the blankets and fleece and stuff are for Marla. And he's like, no, you gotta take care of yourself. You gotta drink. And at that point, I had no desire. I just wanted to get Zach off that rock and keep Marla warm and dry.

[Emily Jones]

As Rich sat there, another thought dawned on him. He hadn't told his wife, Carrie, that their son was still in danger. And as much as he dreaded telling her, she needed to know. Once again, Rich left Marla with the hikers and ran back upstream. He shouted across the river, and I.

[Rich Greenberg]

Said to Carrie, I neglected to tell you in my craziness of the situation that Zach's alive and okay, but he's across this river on this tiny little ledge, and we're gonna have to figure a way to get him out of there. Then you could see now the panic in her eyes set back in, and she said to me, the backpack that you were carrying Marla in and your camelback are about to get swept in the river over there. My initial thought was, who cares? It's a backpack. I could care less about those things.

[Emily Jones]

In the chaos of the moment, Rich felt like the backpacks were the least of his concerns, and they lay dangerously close to the rising river. But as Rich stood there, he felt prompted to follow his wife's advice.

[Rich Greenberg]

But it was her wisdom. I just had this thought. You need to go get that backpack right now. So I walked carefully because it was right near the river's edge and I didn't want to get swept back in. And it was on slippery rocks. And I carefully retrieved those backpacks. Thank goodness for the intuition and the spirit. My wife has to instruct me to do so, because later I realized as I was with Marla, she didn't eat or drink anything, so she was totally tube fed. In these backpacks that I retrieved were the syringes that I needed to keep her hydrated as we waited for a rescue. So I go back and I'm sitting on this rock. Time is just passing by.

[Emily Jones]

Zach looked so precarious, still perched there on the ledge, doing his best to hold still. Every few minutes, Zach would get restless and move just slightly. And just slightly was all it could take to end up back in the river. Rich wasn't sure how much longer Zach could hang on.

[Rich Greenberg]

As a 12 year old boy, he had never held still a moment in his life, except maybe for a few seconds of sleeping each night. He was wiggly, moving, couldn't hold still, needed something to do all the time. And I forced in his mind, you have to sit still on this rock, you cannot afford to go in. So Nino and I instructed him to pull his feet up as far as he can and scoot as far back on that ledge as he could. He was just sitting there across this 40 foot raging river. Had to scream and use hand signals to get even any message across to him.

[Emily Jones]

Over three hours had now passed with no sign of any kind of rescue in sight. With shivering hands, Zach carefully pulled off his own backpack and found a sandwich inside of it. He then pulled out a shirt from his backpack. Shaking violently, Zach tried to cover himself with the shirt. As time passed, the cramped ledge grew more and more unbearable for Zach's body and mind. Rich ached for his boy, wishing desperately that he could help him.

[Rich Greenberg]

I'm thinking to myself, if it gets dark, the river's rising, it's pouring rain. Over the hours we were there, people watch boulders being swallowed up. As this river is rising. I think he's going to fall asleep. He had hiked for hours, he's exhausted by it. Hours waiting there. He's going to fall asleep, he's going to get swept in the river and he's going to 100% sure die. So I thought to myself, there is zero chance I'm going to allow that to happen. And so I said to myself, if it gets near dark, I'm going to hand Marlow off to one of these strangers, teach them how to manage her tube. And I'm going in that river again and try and get to that ledge because there's no way I'm going to allow my son to die.

[Emily Jones]

As Rich contemplated his options, a hiker named John approached Rich.

[Rich Greenberg]

He said, I've got to go downstream and get help for your son because if it gets dark this is going to get bad situation. And I said please be careful, I don't want you to get hurt. And he said I will. And so he goes downstream. It just happens that this man John's hiking this very day in this very time and he happens to be an expert outdoorsman who had done these seven day races and he had all of this skill.

[Emily Jones]

John, athletic and strong, hoped he could make it across the river. Somehow he knew he couldn't just stand there and watch as the river level rose and the sky grew darker and let this boy get swept away forever.

[Marla Greenberg]

Here are these total strangers donating their gear, willing to risk their safety and life.

[Rich Greenberg]

And so here's this man.

[Marla Greenberg]

He gets in chest deep, raging, flooded.

[Rich Greenberg]

River, and he watches the currents, and he crosses partway. There was a little kind of small land mass, a tiny island in this river crossing, and he got all the way there, was able to wave to all of his fellow hikers and family that, hey, I made it this far. And then he went a little bit further to the next section of the river, and it was too dangerous. He just knew it was too dangerous.

[Emily Jones]

John was further downstream attempting this crossing, and therefore Rich could not see what happened. However, Rich was informed that John was unable to cross the river. That was a punch to the gut. But then Rich learned of something else unfolding. A group of hikers on the other side of the river noticed John and got close enough that John could call to them.

[Rich Greenberg]

He immediately springs into action and starts yelling at them, hey, we've got to get help. There's this boy in desperate need of help. And so these people run down to the next river crossing and they can't cross. And then they play this game of telephone and they yell across to the other people and they say, we'll go get help. And then those people had to run two miles back to the start of the hike where there's a beach and there's a lifeguard they found, and they radio down to the air rescue team who's about 40 miles south in a city called Lihue. So they get the radio call, and it'd been passed from perhaps, so at this point, they just knew the river is flooded, which does happen sometimes, and people are in danger.

[Emily Jones]

Rich hoped and prayed the message would reach someone who could help them. But he was also realistic. He knew the chances of a helicopter coming out in a raging storm like this were beyond minute.

[Rich Greenberg]

And as an ER doc at Primary Children's at the time, I knew it was the pilot's decision to fly or not to fly based on weather. And I knew from that experience the pilot doesn't put his crew in danger because there had been some crashes and some deaths. They don't put their crew in danger under torrential downpour and crazy conditions. I thought, there's no way they're getting a helicopter in this valley.

[Emily Jones]

Rich figured if anyone was coming for them, they would have to hike in, and it would take time. And time was something they didn't have. Zach had now been on the ledge for Nearly five hours, and the sun began dipping in the sky. Their situation was getting more and more dire by the minute. Zach tried to stay alert, but he was exhausted and freezing. The water level near the bottom of the ledge now. Marla shivered in Rich's arms, yet he could offer her no warmth. Karen left to go find a different blanket. Nino stood with Rich. Rich trying to offer moral support. But Rich felt helpless, and despair began to take hold of his heart. A tragic ending for his family seemed as inevitable as the darkening sky. Just then, Rich heard a tiny voice call to him. It came from his poor, sopping wet, trembling, suffering, tender yet mighty Marla.

[Rich Greenberg]

Marla says to me, pray. And when Marla says pray, usually that means she wants me to sing her song. Heavenly Father, are you really there? Do you hear and answer every child's prayer? I say, do you want to sing? And I start singing. She says, pray. She's interrupting me. She keeps saying pray. And I said, do you want to say a prayer? And it was clear she was asking me to say a prayer. And so I helped her. And she said this sweet, beautiful prayer, Dear Heavenly Father. And we asked for Zach's protection and ended. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

[Emily Jones]

Rich looked up from the prayer through the driving rain. Some of the other hikers ran toward them and laid a waterproof blanket over Marla. And then Rich heard the most incredible sound. It couldn't be, yet it was. The faint chop of a helicopter echoed in the distance, its thrum growing stronger with each passing second. His heart leapt, leapt at the thought. Was help really on the way? The helicopter soared into view, its pilot waving to let their group know he was aware of them. He flew past and then looped around.

[Rich Greenberg]

Here comes this helicopter flying downstream towards us, and there's a man in a harness tethered by a rope 100ft below the helicopter.

[Emily Jones]

The helicopter hovered over their group. There wasn't a minute to spare. Rich waved to get the helicopter's attention. Yes, save my son, he thought. He's running out of time. But then Rich's stomach dropped like a bowling ball. He watched as the man hanging below the helicopter swooped down, landed on the ground, and grabbed one of the hikers standing on the shore.

[Rich Greenberg]

And as is their protocol, the man's name is Aaron, the rescue worker. He grabs the first person that he can get a hold of because it was later in the day and they knew they could only rescue so many people with the gas they had and the time of day, because once it gets dark, they can't do this. So he grabs this man, Eric, who is one of the hikers who was there helping us, and he starts putting him in the harness. And Nino, Eric and I are screaming at this man, like, why is he helping this person when my son is in so much danger?

[Emily Jones]

In panic, the crowd flapped their arms and screamed and yelled. Aaron, the rescue worker, looked around at them, confused at the response. From Aaron's vantage point, he couldn't see Zach at all.

[Rich Greenberg]

And so we're yelling at him and he's like, what are you talking about? And we're pointing to him because it's so loud you can't communicate. And we point across and he finally sees Zach stranded us on this ledge.

[Emily Jones]

If you can imagine. This scene was something Aaron had never experienced before. No training could have prepared him for a young boy perched precariously on a small ledge above a roaring river next to a sheer cliff. We interviewed Aaron so he could describe his own thoughts and feelings at this shocking moment. Here's Aaron.

[John]

So I lowered in through the trees. I'm on a 100 foot line going through a large canopy, so the pilot and captain can't really see that well. As I went in through the trees, I landed there and grabbed the first guy I came up to, said, okay, I'm gonna get you out of here. And he says, leave me, go save the boy. And I was like, I don't know what you're talking about. And he points across the river. And that was the first time I saw Zach hanging onto the rocks in the river there. I had no idea that he was even up in this area.

[Emily Jones]

Aaron had to devise a plan.

[John]

I knew I didn't have any time to waste. And I couldn't grab Zach and put a kid up on another ledge without any supervision. And so I just told that guy, I'm gonna take you first. You're gonna become my basically what we call casualty collection point. You're gonna be my guy, and I'm bringing everyone to you. And we flew up to our upper landing zone.

[Emily Jones]

Aaron radioed the helicopter. His shock couldn't be contained.

[John]

After I dropped him, we flew back to Zach's location. And I remember telling the captain and the pilot, we get this kid in the water, we got kind of a radical situation coming up. And the captain said, okay, you're gonna have to take a deep breath and slow down. I didn't understand anything you said. So I must have been pretty excited because I was talking really fast.

[Emily Jones]

Aaron explained to the pilot what he wanted him to do. But of course, Aaron had no idea if any of it would work. This was a risk, but it was one he was willing to take.

[John]

So I explained the situation again. I told him, just lower me straight into the water across from these guys, and then you're just gonna have to swing me into the cliff. Because Zach was hanging on, and there was an overhang above him, so we couldn't come directly down to. And they put me about maybe waist deep in the water, thigh deep to waist deep in the raging water. And then I just had him start moving me in.

[Emily Jones]

Rich and the other hikers watched what was happening. Everyone held their breath as they saw Aaron try to swing toward Zach. Aaron did the best he could to communicate with the pilot above him.

[Rich Greenberg]

And Aaron's using hand signals like, go this way, go this way, go this way. And all of a sudden, he gives him the kill signal by, you know, going his hand across his neck like, hey, this is as close as we're gonna get. So the pilot now is holding the helicopter totally dead still with torrential downpour and huge gusts of wind. While Aaron was motioning Zach. You could see Zach's hesitancy. Like I had drilled for five hours. You can't fall in. You can't fall in. Do not move. Stay on that ledge. Stay back, Pull back, pull back. And then when the helicopter came and it was blowing him, and I was like, you gotta hold on. You gotta hold on. I was just watching and watching him. Like, how is Aaron? How is this guy gonna get to him? And he's trying. Like, he's holding onto this branch and he's trying to pull himself, but the conditions are such he can't get closer.

[Emily Jones]

Both Aaron and Zach found themselves in a conundrum. The question of the day still filled the air with tension. What now?

[John]

And I got about maybe six feet away from Zach. I'm thinking, okay, not really sure how I'm gonna do this. You know, eventually the rope's gonna hit. I'm not gonna be able to get to him. Zach's looking at me, and he says, I don't know what to do. I was like, well, in that same boat, I'm not sure how we're gonna do with this either.

[Emily Jones]

Aaron motioned with his fingers to see if Zach could scoot any closer to him. But instead, Zach did something that shocked everyone. Without warning, he leaped into the air. Rich. And all the hikers gasped in horror. Aaron was caught completely off guard. But there was only one thing left to do. He reached for Zach.

[John]

I caught him And I just wrapped my legs around him.

[Emily Jones]

In a moment of relief, Aaron realized he had hold of the boy. But both Aaron and Zach sank deep.

[John]

Into the water, and the current pulled us out into more into the opening. And I was unable to now use the radio because I couldn't key the mic. So I couldn't reach up with my hand because I'm holding on to Zach. And we're getting bucked around pretty good in the water here.

[Emily Jones]

Aaron clung to Zach with all his strength, but the current still threatened to pull Zach from his grasp.

[John]

And as the current brings us into the open opening now, the helicopter could finally see us. And when we're unable to use our hands in the rescue, we put a big cross on top of our helmet, and then we use head signals in order to indicate what we need the pilot to do. So I was able to signal him with my head to tell him, take us up. So he lifted us up out of the stream, which was great at first, but I was thinking, okay, we'll go to the bank and I'll package this kid up, because I'm holding on to Zach, he's holding on to me. Next thing you know, I'm 200, 500ft up in the air. I'm like, oh, that's a little more exciting than I wanted it to be.

[Emily Jones]

The hikers watched as Aaron and Zach were lifted into the sky. Rich hugged Nino, crying in disbelief.

[Marla Greenberg]

The pilot airlifts him hundreds of feet in the air. And I'm watching this in pure amazement, like, I can't believe this is actually.

[Rich Greenberg]

Happening, let alone happening to me. It's a scene that Hollywood couldn't recreate if they wanted to.

[Marla Greenberg]

And just, we're so grateful that God had seen fit to perform this miracle.

[Emily Jones]

Aaron held tight to Zach as Zack gripped Aaron in return. They flew through the air with no harness on Zach at all. But it was a moment of triumph nonetheless. Soon, the pilot set Zach and Aaron down carefully on the landing zone. At last, both Aaron and Zach heaved a giant sigh of relief. But Aaron didn't have time to sit and celebrate. He had more lives to save. When it was Rich's turn to go, a new fear washed over him.

[Rich Greenberg]

Aaron came back, grabbed Nino. I told him about Marla because he didn't really know about Marla. And he said, go get your daughter. I'm going to rescue Nino, and then you're next.

[Emily Jones]

Rich watched as Nino was secured and lifted into the air.

[Rich Greenberg]

So I saw how I was going to get rescued. And unfortunately, I have a let's Say healthy respect or. That is a terrible fear of heights. So I knew it was about to happen. I didn't want it, but I knew I had no other choice. And so I said to myself, okay, don't say anything. Don't say anything. Don't say anything. And so he lands and he starts putting both Marla and I in the same harness. And he's like, it's only designed for one. And he's got us wrapped in this harness. And I just stare at him and I say, I just couldn't help it. This guttural thing came out of me. I said, I'm deathly afraid of heights. And he. He was so annoyed at me. Here he was risking his life to save me and my family, and here I'm being a wimp. And he just stared right in my eyes and he said, too bad for you. We got to get you the hell out of here. And he said, go. And then. So we're airlifted and he's just holding onto us. He didn't have to, but he just, especially with Marlow, there's. He just held on to us. And I closed my eyes almost the whole time because I was dead scared. And then he landed us on this ledge.

[Emily Jones]

The instant Rich was free from his harness, he ran straight to Zach and wrapped his son tightly in his arms. He held him there, sobbing in an embrace that said everything words never could.

[Marla Greenberg]

And I ran over and embraced him. And one of the most important, beautiful, beautiful moments of my life, being able to hold my boy again.

[Rich Greenberg]

Then Aaron went and rescued everyone else from my side of the river and then went upstream and one by one, rescued Carrie and Samantha and Steve and Margaret and Anson, the other couple that were there.

[Emily Jones]

It was supposed to be a simple day, a family hike to a scenic waterfall. Instead, it was an experience that no one would ever forget. Zach Greenberg had held onto a rock to life. Rich had held onto faith. Little Marla had held on to prayer. A group of hikers held on to hope. And Aaron had held on to a scrawny 12 year old boy in a harrowing flight through the air. It was a story of strength, of family, and a moment where everything could have ended very differently, but for the heroic individuals and God. This experience is now a memory for the Greenberg family. But Rich, Carrie, and their children will forever hold on together to the flood of miracles they received.

[Holly Worthington]

This family really did experience so many miracles. And one of the greatest of those is, how in the world did Zach get up on that ledge?

[Aaron Hawthorne]

I. I know Karen and Nino Said they watched him and he used his non dominant hand to reach up. Somehow he grabs onto this almost vertical rock wall and pulls himself up on these slippery moss covered rocks while he's.

[Holly Worthington]

Getting pulled away in the current.

[Aaron Hawthorne]

Like it really does seem almost impossible. But yeah, not with that.

[Holly Worthington]

Yeah. So we actually interviewed Zach and we have a sound bite from him that we'd love to share.

[Zach Greenberg]

I don't know how I got onto this ledge. It's definitely a miracle. But somehow I was going feet first down the river. My belly was facing upward in the water and somehow with my left hand I was able to grab onto a mossy rock that started to go on an incline that happened to be a section with the only section of that sheer wall with a little ledge where I was able to sit. And I don't know how, I don't remember. I know that definitely God was there and he blessed me with angels and strength to be able to do that. And I was able to just sit there. For most people, sitting is pretty typical and okay. But I was very hyperactive, always fidgeting, always doing something. I could never sit still. My parents had to try to teach me and how to work with the teachers to make it so I wasn't too disruptive during class, even just like my finger tapping or just like running around class. But God definitely blessed me with a peace of mind and calm composure to be able to sit still on this tiny little ledge.

[Aaron Hawthorne]

What a miracle. Rich actually went back like a year or two later to this ledge that Zach had been sitting on. And he tried to climb up on this ledge and he said it was almost impossible. He was really hard for him. And he is a grown man.

[John]

Yeah.

[Holly Worthington]

And there was no current pulling him when he did it.

[Aaron Hawthorne]

Yeah. He didn't have to fight this river. I mean, it is amazing. And I truly believe that there were angels that helped him on that ledge.

[Holly Worthington]

I do too. I absolutely believe that. And how crazy was it too that Aaron just caught Zach when Zach unexpectedly just leaped into the air at him?

[Aaron Hawthorne]

That was the craziest part. I love what Zach said about that.

[Zach Greenberg]

When he was about 5ft across from the river, like holding onto the branches.

[Rich Greenberg]

To stand close to the wall with.

[Zach Greenberg]

The river, dragging his feet backwards. He motioned to me, like, come closer, come closer. But I thought he was saying, like, come to me. Like jump to me. I don't remember jumping, but I remember just being on the ledge and all of a sudden I was in his arms. Somehow I was able to jump into his arms and he was Able to miraculously let go of the branch, catch onto me, and just hold me. At the time, I thought one of my legs had gotten into the harness and that was safe and I was okay and I was good. But it turns out that it hadn't gotten into the. And he had just caught me and held onto me and just bear hugged me.

[Holly Worthington]

And now something else that we weren't able to get into in the story is that Aaron got all the people off the river that night who were immediately around Rich, Zach, and Marla. But there were a bunch of hikers that still remain stranded there all night long.

[Aaron Hawthorne]

Yeah, like over 70 people.

[Holly Worthington]

Yeah.

[Aaron Hawthorne]

Still on the mountain.

[Holly Worthington]

And Aaron actually stayed with those people overnight. I mean, you want to talk about a hero? Aaron is such a hero. And here's what Aaron said about that night.

[John]

The whole ground was just moving with water, and the fire was just barely going. And so we started getting some people that were really getting cold. So the only shelter that we had out there, a hard shelter, was an outhouse. And so people started piling into this outhouse, the ones that were really cold. And I think they set a record for how many people you could get in an outhouse, because, you know, it was a. It was a wooden one, like a composting outhouse, but they had 18 people in there or something. And then at that they. They blocked the door. They wouldn't let anyone else in. So, yeah, turned out to be a long night. But we got the critical ones into the outhouse and everybody else, we just, you know, buddied up and tried to keep the fire going and keep moving. And, you know, if you get really cold, get up and do some lunges and some squats and keep the blood in your legs. And essentially did that till the morning time. And then the helicopter came back in for us and we started loading everybody in, three at a time, flying them out.

[Holly Worthington]

So the next day, when the helicopter was bringing everybody back from being rescued, there was someone there waiting for them. It was Zach and his dad, Rich. And they were handing out muffins and water. They felt so worried about those people that they knew were still out there that night in the cold, you know, and they wanted to do something to help out the next day.

[Aaron Hawthorne]

Rich said he felt so guilty going home and sleeping in this nice warm bed when many of the people who helped rescue his son were still out there in the freezing cold rain. And, I mean, obviously Zach's situation was the most dire, but they and Marla.

[Holly Worthington]

Yeah, and Marla needed care too. Yeah, yeah. So obviously they needed to get them home first. But yeah, there's one more thing that we have to mention too, so. And to me, this is definitely a huge part of the miracle. Before all of this happened, the county council in Kauai had discussed cutting the funds for the Air Rescue team. And I mean, helicopters are expensive and the council had pretty much made up their minds that they couldn't keep giving money to this program and that it would be disbanded. So two days after Zach was rescued, the county council held a meeting.

[Emily Jones]

Yeah.

[Holly Worthington]

To decide if the air rescue team would continue to receive funding or not.

[Aaron Hawthorne]

Yeah. And after Zach and Rich were rescued, Rich was interviewed and they played a recording of his interview at this council meeting. And here's a clip from that.

[Rich Greenberg]

His name is Aaron Hawthorne, is the one who rescued my son Zachary. And the pilot's name was Cliff. But there were other people, I don't know the other rescuer's name who were involved. But it was only through the act of God and through their heroic efforts that our family.

[Aaron Hawthorne]

In this video, you can see Zach and you get a sense of just.

[Emily Jones]

How young he was.

[Holly Worthington]

Yeah.

[Aaron Hawthorne]

I mean, I have an 11 year.

[Emily Jones]

Old son and I cannot imagine having.

[Aaron Hawthorne]

Him trapped in this kind of situation, going through something so traumatic like this.

[Holly Worthington]

Yeah. And you can just hear in the video Rich's like, sincere gratitude. And when the council members saw this video, saw the faces of Rich and Zach and I mean, how could that not affect your heart? And the council ended up voting unanimously to continue the funding of the Air Rescue team. Here's what Rich said about it.

[Rich Greenberg]

Here's this rescue team that's about to lose their funding and because they perform this one miracle and I get interviewed that it helps save their team. And now, I mean, it's been 10 plus years. They rescue about 70 people a year. So you do the math of how many people's lives have been affected by God performing this miracle just for our family and how much it touches people's lives. And I think it's a reminder of that God exists and that God is real and that God is good.

[Aaron Hawthorne]

God is real and he is so good. And there were just so many amazing people in this story who were willing.

[Emily Jones]

To help complete strangers.

[Aaron Hawthorne]

And Rich actually wrote all of this.

[Emily Jones]

Up in a book.

[Aaron Hawthorne]

So if you want to hear more details about this story or purchase it.

[Emily Jones]

As a gift for a friend who.

[Aaron Hawthorne]

You think might enjoy this story, his.

[Emily Jones]

Book is called Surviving a Miracle.

[Aaron Hawthorne]

And one last thing before we go.

[Emily Jones]

Zach has a message for the people who helped rescue him.

[Zach Greenberg]

I want to thank them. Thank them for putting their lives on the line and for all the amazing work they do. They're so selfless and they're so humble about it as well. I want to thank them and everyone who works in similar positions that they do who risk their lives blessing other people. God definitely had his hand directing and leading us and he was definitely blessing us with many tender mercies and a lot of miracles. He is so present in each of our lives, both in the big things and small things. He really does care and love for us.

[Holly Worthington]

Thank you so much to your whole family, Rich and Zach. And thank you to Aaron for sharing this story with us. And thanks to all of the rescue team and the hikers who all pitched in to help this family and to help each other. All of you. Your examples just shine so brightly. Thank you for joining us. If you have a miracle to share, contact us@themerical files.com or find us on Facebook.

[Emily Jones]

We're now releasing multiple episodes each month, so subscribe on your favorite podcast platform and YouTube for amazing video content as well.

[Holly Worthington]

Join us next time as we discover more of God's miracles. And don't forget to look for his light in your own lives.