Boat Wreck in the Graveyard of the Pacific | REMASTERED

Summary

The Miracle Files – "Boat Wreck in the Graveyard of the Pacific" (Remastered)

Podcast: The Miracle Files
Episode Date: February 23, 2026
Hosts: Emily Jones & Holly Worthington
Theme: Real-life miracles of hope, faith, and survival

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Episode Overview

This episode tells the gripping true story of four friends—Chris, Neil, Adam, and Ryan—whose crabbing adventure in the perilous "Graveyard of the Pacific" nearly turned deadly. The story unfolds with warmth and humor but centers on a series of miraculous events that saved their lives when their boat struck a rock bar and rapidly sank in frigid, lethal waters. The friends and their captain, Rick Devlin, recount moments of panic, divine intervention, and the lasting impact of faith and gratitude.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Scene: A Chance Reunion and the Fateful Trip

• Backstory: Chris, known for winning golf tournaments, invites three old college friends (Neil, Adam, Ryan) on a crabbing trip he won.
  • “It was pretty much a miracle that we were all able to make it happen.” – Neil (04:13)
• Location: Mouth of the Columbia River, Oregon, at Cape Disappointment—a notoriously treacherous body of water.
  • “It is considered one of the most dangerous waterways in the entire world.” – Neil (04:36)
  • “Graveyard of the Pacific” has claimed thousands of vessels; survival times in the water are measured in minutes (05:02).

2. False Security and the Crash (06:09 – 08:30)

• Mood: The men board the aluminum boat, feeling secure and jovial, underestimating the risk.
• Disaster Strikes: Another boat crosses their path, Captain Rick decides to cross the rock bar after seeing the other vessel, then:
  • “There was a massive boom, like a massive, massive crashing noise... The boat goes from, like, full speed to almost a complete stop.” – Neil (08:09)
• The boat’s hull rips open; chaos and shock ensue as the boat fills with freezing water.

3. Chaos and Quick Thinking (09:11 – 12:53)

• Attempting to recover crab pots and reacting to the captain's injury.
• “He’s screaming, get the life jackets.” – Neil (10:45)
• Pivotal Moment: Ryan, who previously survived an avalanche and lost a friend due to hesitation, leaps into action:
  • “I remembered...everyone had been too stunned at the time to think or act quickly. He knew in a situation like this, seconds matter.” – Narrator/Emily (11:16)
  • He distributes life jackets to others before himself—a vital act of selflessness.

4. Into the Icy Water: The Ordeal (12:53 – 17:36)

• The friends enter the frigid water within seconds, weighed down by heavy rain gear.
• Descriptions of trying to survive the river current and waves:
  • “Imagine being in, like, a lazy river at, like, a pool...multiply it by at least 10, if not 20. You are moving so fast.” – Neil (16:06)
• Moments of fear, surrender, and humor:
  • Adam: “Okay, Lord, I'm in your hands now. There's nothing I can do. It's all God.” (15:12)
  • Neil, seeing Adam "ride in the boat like Captain Jack Sparrow," feels laughter and a strange peace (14:28).

5. Signs & Miracles (17:36 – 21:48)

• As hope is dimming, Adam blows his whistle; a harbor seal leaps over him and a rainbow appears.
  • “There was something inside of me. I was like, we are going to be okay. Like, God has got us.” – Neil (18:42)
• Rescue: A nearby fishing couple, having seen the crash, pull Captain Rick and Chris from the water. Second boat arrives just in time for Neil.
  • “The passengers on the second boat snatched Neil from the brink of disaster, mere seconds before being pulled into the standing waves of the ocean.” – Narrator/Emily (21:36)

6. Aftermath and Reflection (22:00 – 28:00)

• Coast Guard did not receive distress call, reinforcing how many fluke coincidences saved their lives.
• Emotional debrief at the Coast Guard station. Captain Rick is in tears:
  • “It wasn't our time to go.” – Chris on Rick's emotional reaction (22:58)
• Impact on faith and life perspective:
  • Neil: “All of that can be taken in the blink of an eye...I'm just so grateful.” (25:35)
  • Ryan: “To me, points to a divine creator...He has a plan for all of us in our lives.” (26:09)
  • Chris: “I don't have an answer on why or why I think miracles happen. I'm just really grateful that this one did.” (26:52)
  • Adam: “The amount of things God has in store for us...doesn't end with a sinking of a boat.” (27:15)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Adam, going into the water:
  “Okay, Lord, I'm in your hands now. And like, there's nothing I can do. From that point on, it's just like, by God's grace, I'm either going to survive this or I'm not.” (15:12)
• Neil, struck by sudden peace after laughter:
  “There was something inside of me. I was like, we are going to be okay. Like, God has got us.” (18:42)
• Chris reflecting on Rick's emotional accountability:
  “Rick Devlin is tearing up...I think the emotions had really fully hit him like that we probably shouldn't be there, but for whatever reason, it wasn't our time.” (22:58)
• Ryan on the meaning of miracles:
  “There are so many things line up that, to me, points to a divine creator that loves and cares for me, and he has a plan for all of us in our lives.” (26:09)
• Captain Rick, on how close they came:
  “Something in my head told me not to cut across...I decided, rather than do that, to actually just square up on it and hit it straight on.” (29:04)
• Captain Rick, validating the miracle:
  “Everything came together in the right steps to get us through it...All the pieces just fell into place.” (32:42)

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Important Timestamps

• 06:09: Friends board the boat, setting out on their trip.
• 08:09: The boat strikes the rock bar; chaos ensues.
• 11:16: Ryan’s crucial intervention with life jackets.
• 14:28: Adam's "Captain Jack Sparrow" moment.
• 15:12: Adam surrenders to God as he enters the water.
• 18:42: Harbor seal and rainbow moment; sudden peace for Neil.
• 21:36: Second boat rescues Neil.
• 22:58: Emotional Coast Guard debrief with Captain Rick.
• 25:35 – 28:00: Friends reflect on faith and the experience’s impact.
• 29:04: Captain Rick explains the pivotal steering decision.
• 32:42: Captain Rick calls the outcome a miracle.

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Host Commentary and Takeaways

• Emily and Holly highlight the rarity of survival stories in the "Graveyard of the Pacific," underscoring the sheer miraculousness.
• They celebrate Ryan’s selfless heroism, noting how prior trauma shaped his actions:
  • “The fact that he gave everyone a life jacket before he got a life jacket himself...He had only had time to get one arm in his life jacket before he was in the water. He was truly selfless.” (31:16–31:52)
• Conversation about why some people receive miracles and others don't—acknowledging the mystery, sovereignty, and compassion of God.
• Adam’s ministry after the event is highlighted as part of the lasting ripple effect of miracles.
• The hosts emphasize the podcast’s purpose: to spread light and faith, reminding listeners to look for God's hand in their own lives.

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Conclusion

This episode of The Miracle Files is a moving testament to faith, quick thinking, community, and the unexplained workings of fate. It delivers suspense, reflection, humor, and powerful affirmations of gratitude and divine providence—offering listeners an inspiring alternative to darker storytelling.

Final message:
"Don't forget to look for His light in your own lives.” – Holly Worthington (34:10)

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Further Listening

• Next time: More miracle stories, uplifting alternatives to standard true crime fare.
• Submit your own miracle: www.themiraclefiles.com

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Transcript

[Narrator / Emily Jones]

Captain Rick attempted to drive over the rock bar, but with the shifting waves, the water level had dropped too low. Neil remembers hearing a horrible sound.

[Neil]

There was a massive boom, like a massive crashing noise. And it was one of the loudest sounds I have heard. The boat goes from, like, full speed to almost a complete stop.

[Chris]

And as soon as I looked down, I was over knee deep in water. And then I just fell backwards and

[Ryan]

went in the water.

[Chris]

I mean, it was seconds. It was a.

[Narrator / 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.

[Narrator / Emily Jones]

So we're on a mission to find and share unforgettable, uplifting stories of God's miracles.

[Co-host / Podcast Host]

We hope you'll join us on this journey.

[Holly Worthington]

Welcome back to the Miracle Files. If you're one of our YouTube people, I apologize that I look like an Oompa Loompa.

[Narrator / Emily Jones]

I thought it. You don't look.

[Holly Worthington]

I thought it was a good idea to put some self tanner on. And no, it was not a good idea.

[Co-host / Podcast Host]

You don't look that bad. Just a tad orange today. Oh, gosh.

[Holly Worthington]

My daughters were like, mom, what did you do to your face? Okay. Anyway, I can laugh at myself.

[Co-host / Podcast Host]

And we can laugh at you too.

[Narrator / Emily Jones]

No worries.

[Co-host / Podcast Host]

But we just want to remind you, if you're new here, the purpose of our podcast is to be an alternative for true crime. And you know, we love a good true crime story. They're really interesting, but they can also be really heavy and dark.

[Narrator / Emily Jones]

So, yes.

[Holly Worthington]

And we are on a mission to show that there is more light and goodness in this world than there is darkness.

[Co-host / Podcast Host]

So if you know anyone in your life who could use a little more light and some entertainment, share this podcast with them.

[Narrator / Emily Jones]

Yes.

[Holly Worthington]

But anyway, the story we have today is so great, so we gotta get going, but funny side story before we begin. So we had one of our listeners named Natalie Thorne contact us about her husband's miracle story, but this is how she presented it to her husband, Chris.

[Chris]

So my wife's the one who reached out to you guys. What was funny is she reached out to you guys and she was like, hey, guess what? I'm gonna be on a podcast. And I was like, awesome. I was like, what's the story? And she was like, it's like when you sunk the boat.

[Adam]

I'm like, but you weren't in that story.

[Neil]

She's like, exactly.

[Chris]

Okay, cool.

[Co-host / Podcast Host]

So moral of the story is, if you have a Spouse or a sister or a friend who you think has a great story to share with us, and they've been holding out. Just say, I'm gonna be on a podcast, and then, surprise.

[Holly Worthington]

Hey, it's actually you.

[Co-host / Podcast Host]

Yes, Great idea.

[Holly Worthington]

Okay, one last thing really quickly before we start the story. You're going to hear four different voices in this story because it's about Chris and his three friends, Neil, Ryan, and Adam.

[Adam]

Yeah.

[Co-host / Podcast Host]

But I wouldn't worry too much about trying to keep track of who's who. I mean, if you can, great. But really, this is one collective experience they all had together, so I would just try to enjoy it.

[Holly Worthington]

Yeah, it's an amazing one. So let's get started.

[Narrator / Emily Jones]

Chris, Adam, Neil, and Ryan seemed like your average group of old roommates reuniting after years apart. However, beneath the surface, something was brewing. Their love for adventure was about to lead them down an unexpected path. When Chris disclosed that he'd won a trip from a golf tournament, the group of friends were thrilled to be invited along. Here's Neil explaining how this story began.

[Neil]

So this story really starts when you have a buddy who's very good at golf. So Chris is that guy. And he actually was in a lot of golf tournaments, and he'd always win things. In fact, most of us, I think, have a full set of golf clubs because he just gives us his clubs from when he wins tournaments. He's amazing, right, Chris? But on this special occasion, he won a golf tournament, and the option was to get a crabbing trip for the Oregon coast. And he's like, hey, you know, let's get the college guys together and let's do this crabbing trip. And it's funny, we looked back at the calendar, we're trying to figure out the day, and we had to change the date at least once because we were all trying to coordinate schedules. Anyway, it was pretty much a miracle that we were all able to make it happen.

[Narrator / Emily Jones]

The four friends met up at the mouth of the Columbia river in Oregon, a notorious place called Cape Disappointment.

[Neil]

And it is considered one of the most dangerous waterways in the entire world. There are highly specialized boat pilots that make hundreds of thousand dollars a year just getting flown onto a shipping container to drive one mile across the Columbia River Bar. It is incredibly dangerous. And for people who aren't familiar with the Columbia river, it is one of the largest rivers in the country.

[Narrator / Emily Jones]

In fact, this section of the Columbia river is often referred to as the graveyard of the Pacific. This region has claimed thousands of vessels over the years. With its dangerous churning Waters where the mighty Columbia river meets the turbulent Pacific Ocean. Conditions there create powerful currents, frigid water, and waves that can reach 10 to 15ft high. In fact, on this day, the water was so cold, a person would survive for less than an hour if they fell in. After the friends arrived at the boat dock, they boarded a sturdy 25 foot aluminum boat captained by Rick Devlin, a seasoned mariner. Excitement filled the air. Here's Ryan.

[Ryan]

It's a big, flat, open bow with I think there was like four seats.

[Adam]

Like, nice captain chair.

[Ryan]

Nice captain chair. Seats, like, ready for salmon fishing, ready for crabbing. Big, you know, the crab pots are 3ft by foot and a half tall. So they're like, there's enough room in the boat for all the crab pots. There was probably six crab pots we had and it was a really nice boat.

[Narrator / Emily Jones]

With the temperatures holding around 32 degrees Fahrenheit, the men had layered their clothing and their captain Rick gave all of them heavy waterproof overalls to wear. The life jackets remained in the hull of the boat. The four friends were confident they wouldn't need them, blissfully unaware of the danger that awaited. Though the sun was out, the tide was low, causing the river's current to flow violently. But Captain Rick was experienced and unconcerned, so he drove the aluminum boat through the water toward the Pacific Ocean. Here's Neil.

[Neil]

We are just like completely bundled up. So we climb in the boat. Everything's great. We're having a great time. We have to go from where we put in. It's called Hill Hammond is the name of the boat launch. And then the crabbing we wanted to do was on the Washington side. So we started on the Oregon side and then we went over to the Washington side. So we're cruising and the water's beautiful. I mean, it was just a beautiful day. The marine layer is like fog, but it's not on. The water just had set in. It's cold. You know, we're talking. We hadn't all four been in the same place since I feel like college. Had been a long time since we'd all been together. We were having a great time. Like, the last thing we were thinking about was that we were in any form of any danger. We were just having a great time.

[Narrator / Emily Jones]

Captain Rick was familiar with the dangerous rock bar under the surface of the water. He began to steer the boat away to avoid it. But just then, a smaller fishing boat cut across his path, distracting and frustrating. Rick. Here's Adam.

[Adam]

And the boat that he was upset at crossed this Bar, and he saw them go over the bar. So he was like, it must be deep enough. I'll try it.

[Narrator / Emily Jones]

Captain Rick attempted to drive over the bar, but with the shifting waves, the water level had dropped too low. Neil remembers hearing a horrible sound.

[Neil]

There was a massive boom, like a massive, massive crashing noise. And it was one of the loudest sounds I have heard. It sounded like a giant aluminum drum had just been smashed open. The boat goes from, like, full speed to almost a complete stop.

[Narrator / Emily Jones]

The aluminum boat had struck the rock bar, ripping the bottom of it open like a tuna can and bringing the boat to a startling stop. Adam and all of the men were hurdled forward in the boat.

[Adam]

I was on the floor and, like, my face buried into the seat in front of me, and I, like, I don't remember even hearing the bang because it all happened in a split second. And I just remember trying to, like, climb up off my feet and look around, and everybody was in the same position. It was kind of like what just

[Narrator / Emily Jones]

happened from the back of the boat. Captain Rick's body had flown through the air, crashing hard. His hand was clearly fractured.

[Neil]

Yeah, we were in shock. We're like, what? What just happened?

[Narrator / Emily Jones]

As Rick scrambled to throw the boat into full throttle, Ryan's first concern was with the crab pots, which dragging in the water seemed to be working as anchors to the compromised boat.

[Ryan]

I remember standing up and seeing all the crab pots laying out there and somebody yelling, get the crab.

[Neil]

Crab pot.

[Ryan]

So we're just grabbing these ropes and we're like, trying to pull the pots in, but there's tension on the ropes.

[Neil]

So the crab pots are big, but also the captain. So he gets up, I look over at his hand, and it's. It's pretty mangled. And I'm like, okay, this is not ideal. I realize he's standing in about ankle deep water at this stage, and he grabs the throttle and he turns the boat as quickly as he can towards the shore, and he guns it. But you can tell we are not moving with nearly the same speed that we were before.

[Narrator / Emily Jones]

The four friends tried to pull the crab pots in, but water was flooding into the boat faster than they could pull the crab pots out of the river. Captain Rick quickly made a distress call and shouted to forget the crab pots and grab the life jackets. Within seconds, the stern of the boat was submerged, and the friends felt the panic rising. Neil was in shock and couldn't move.

[Neil]

So I'm sitting on the chair with life jackets, and I'm still trying to process everything, and I'm like, well, I do remember I'm sitting on the chair, so I'm like, there's a latch, I think.

[Adam]

Life jackets on the inside, chamber under

[Neil]

the seat, Literally under where I was sitting. I had, like, gotten thrown out of my seat, got back in my seat. I'm, like, just trying to take it all in. I'm actually worried about the captain's hand. I'm like, I wonder what happened to his fingers. You know, like all that, and he's screaming, get the life jackets.

[Narrator / Emily Jones]

Ryan was the only one who sprang into action. Not long before this crabbing trip, Ryan had been skiing when he experienced a tragic and terrible avalanche. He had lost a friend in that avalanche, and it had devastated Ryan. As Ryan watched his friends on the boat hesitate to know what to do, he remembered back to how everyone in the avalanche had been too stunned at the time to think or act quickly. He knew in a situation like this, seconds matter. While everyone else stood or sat paralyzed with shock, Ryan knew what he had to do.

[Neil]

Ryan grabs me and physically moves me out of my seat, lifts up my seat, grabs a life jacket, hands it to the captain of the boat. The captain puts the life jacket on, and he is out of the boat.

[Narrator / Emily Jones]

The captain was gone in an instant, swept away by the current as he secured his life jacket.

[Neil]

The back of the boat has now officially sunk. The front of the boat is still moving a little bit because the motor is getting ready to drown out because it is now almost fully submerged underwater. But the captain is gone. He is out of the boat. Ryan grabs the next life jacket, hands it to Chris, and we are probably maybe a half of a mile away from where the ocean is.

[Narrator / Emily Jones]

Ryan handed Chris. Chris a life jacket just in the nick of time. Here's Chris.

[Chris]

Yeah, very vivid image is I was like, why is Ryan handing me a life jacket? And I put it on, and then I remember one buckle in. Like, I snapped my buckle, and as soon as I looked down, I was over knee deep in water. And then I just fell backwards and

[Ryan]

went in the water.

[Chris]

And I'm still trying to, like, get. I mean, it was seconds. It was a matter of seconds.

[Narrator / Emily Jones]

Neil watched as Chris was swept away by the current.

[Neil]

So Chris is out of the water, and they are floating very, very fast, like they were just basically gone. We are still on the boat. Ryan grabs the next life jacket, hands it to Adam.

[Narrator / Emily Jones]

Adam stayed standing at the front of the boat, the only dry spot left. The water had now rushed into the rest of the boat, surrounding Ryan and Neil. Ryan, without giving thought of Himself, then handed a life jacket to Neil, who hurried and put it on. Neil pulled his iPhone out of his pocket.

[Neil]

Ryan has just enough time to get his arm into his life jacket. And so I jump in the water because I'm like, I don't want to get stuck on a rope or something like that. So I jump in the water, but I'm holding my phone above my head. It's probably like. Like the second generation iPhone. I don't know. It's like, there's nothing waterproof about those devices back in those days.

[Narrator / Emily Jones]

Neil carefully held up his phone, determined to be the one who would make a call. But unfortunately, when Ryan jumped off the boat, he landed directly on Neil and his cell phone, which were both submerged underwater. Meanwhile, the boat was almost entirely sunk, with only the very front still visible above the waterline. Adam stayed standing at the bow. Neil remembers watching Adam in wonder.

[Neil]

The boat is still barely moving forward, and he just. He just stood there.

[Chris]

He just rode it in like Captain Jack Sparrow.

[Neil]

It was graceful. It was amazing. And it looked exactly like Captain Jack Sparrow, like, stepping off of his boat and just riding it directly into the water. Oh, my gosh. So at that moment, I started laughing.

[Adam]

It was odd because I just remember I was, like, putting my life jacket on, cinching them up, and then pretty soon the boat, like, my feet just. They lift off of the boat, and the boat just disappears under my feet, and then I'm in the water like everybody else.

[Narrator / Emily Jones]

Though Neil found humor in this moment, Adam's thoughts were more somber.

[Adam]

Yeah, so when I was going in the water, the last guy on the boat going in, I remember having this thought, like, okay, Lord, I'm in your hands now. And like, there's nothing I can do. From that point on, it's just like, by God's grace, I'm either going to survive this or I'm not. And there's. My hands are done. I'm off. It's all God.

[Narrator / Emily Jones]

From his point, Adam knew only God could help him and his friends in this desperate moment. And even as Neil laughed, the reality of their situation began to dawn on him. Their boat had completely vanished beneath the water in less than 60 seconds. And all four friends, along with their captain, were now in the frigid river, each fighting for survival against the powerful current. Current. Their heavy rain gear and waders weighing them down.

[Neil]

Ryan is, like, trying to save our lives. He's swimming as fast and as hard as he can towards the shore, and we realize there is no swimming in this water. The water is Going to push you where it. Imagine being in, like, a lazy river at, like, a pool or something like that, and then multiply it by, like, at least 10, if not 20. You are moving so fast. There are actually waves, waves in this water because the water is rushing towards the ocean so incredibly fast.

[Narrator / Emily Jones]

Adam felt the weight of his waterlogged waders dragging him down while all four men battled the waves. The water was shockingly cold, and a wall of giant waves stood before them.

[Neil]

So the water's moving fast. The river is like, one issue. The ocean is a whole. A whole different animal. Because when you're barely kept afloat with your life jacket and it's keeping your head out of the water, as that river keeps going, you're getting these larger and larger standing waves. And every one of those waves, when you get to the crest of the wave, you're not floating over that wave. You're getting pushed through it, and you're taking water in. So you're timing your breaths to try to make sure that you can still breathe on the downside of that wave, because you know that it's just going to come over the top of you. And when we're looking out at the ocean, it's just this white wall that's in front of us as it's getting closer and closer. I mean, I just remember saying, like, you know, God, either we get rescued from this, or that's going to be the end. It felt so powerless. I felt so powerless.

[Narrator / Emily Jones]

In that moment, the men clung to a fragile hope that the Coast Guard might be on their way. Yet deep down, they knew the odds were against them. Even if someone had heard their distress call, help would likely take too long to arrive. And how could anyone possibly find them? Scattered and barely visible, with their heads just above the water, rescue seemed unlikely. Adam grabbed the whistle attached to his life jacket and blew it, frantically, praying that someone might hear them. As he did so, he received a surprise response. Unfortunately, it wasn't anyone coming to his rescue. But all four men say the strangest thing occurred. A rainbow appeared over Adam and a harbor seal. Hearing the whistle leaped directly over Adam's head. Neil couldn't believe his eyes, but felt strangely comforted by the moment. He found himself laughing again, even though he knew they were all in great peril.

[Neil]

I just lost it, but there was something inside of me. I was like, we are going to be okay. Like, God has got us. We are going to be okay. There's a greater plan. This is not the end.

[Narrator / Emily Jones]

But even though he felt that sense of peace. Neil turned and saw the approaching white wall of water. Here's Ryan.

[Ryan]

There was no way we were still swimming our way out of this thing. The only way we were going to get rescued from this thing was by a boat or a helicopter. It was like pretty obvious to me that we were in a bad way.

[Narrator / Emily Jones]

And then they saw a small boat. A couple who had been fishing nearby had heard the loud crash of Rick's boat colliding with the rock. They had watched in shock as the boat sank within a minute of striking the rock ledge. Even though their boat wasn't meant for that many people, they instantly turned around, determined to rescue as many people as possible. Chris and Captain Rick were nearing the wall of frothing white water, the ocean's fury threatening to engulf them. The couple reached them first and with difficulty pulled them aboard. With precious minutes taken ticking by while the couple tried to get Chris and Rick into their boat, the current continued to propel Neil, Ryan and Adam closer and closer to the wall. Here's Chris.

[Chris]

I was picked up first. I just remember we were spread out. And so in my head now I'm like trying to do a head count, like making sure I'm seeing all my friends and not losing sight of them

[Adam]

because it's pretty easy to do.

[Chris]

So I was first on. I'm pointing and hollering like, there, there, there, there.

[Narrator / Emily Jones]

Next. Next, Ryan and Adam were pulled from the water. Adam especially had a difficult time getting on board the boat with his waders heavy and full of water.

[Adam]

I remember getting pulled onto the boat and like the guy, he couldn't lift me out of the water and I could not pull myself out of the water like both of us. Well, eventually he did. But when I got onto the boat, it was like five gallon bucket was just dumped out of my shirt into this guy's fishing boat.

[Narrator / Emily Jones]

While four of the men were aboard the small fishing boat, the couple couldn't take on anyone else. The boat, not meant for that many passengers, was too weighed down. It was already slogging along as they tried to avoid the treacherous wall of waves. Neil remained in the current. It was getting more and more dangerous for anyone to try to navigate a boat that close to the ocean. And the couple who had saved the other men couldn't risk rescuing Neil. The friends had to watch helplessly as any chance of saving Neil began to slip away. But just then, miraculously, another small fishing boat arrived on scene. While risking their own safety. Safety. The passengers on the second boat snatched Neil from the brink of disaster. Mere Seconds before being pulled into the standing waves of the ocean.

[Neil]

They were trying to pull me on board, and it was incred. I just remember for me, I had a really hard time getting onto the boat. And by the time I got onto the boat, there was so much water that I brought out of the boat.

[Narrator / Emily Jones]

The fishing boats turned away from the ocean and headed toward a Coast Guard station. As the five men sat silently aboard the boats, shivering and exhausted, slowly the adrenaline began to wear off. A Coast Guard ship met them as they neared the station. The friends yelled to the Coast Guard ship and asked if they had received their distress call. The Coast Guardsmen yelled back that they had never received their call and that they were heading to a shipping container that had just sunk. Astonished, the friends continued on to the Coast Guard station. There, reality hit the men hard. The Coast Guard personnel confirmed what all the men already knew in their hearts, that the conditions they had faced were not just dangerous, but lethal. They were beyond lucky to be alive. Chris remembers how emotional Captain Rick was in that moment.

[Chris]

Rick Devlin, because he's the captain, has to give, like, a full account of what happened, and he's ultimately responsible for it. But when he's recounting the event and what happened, Rick Devlin is tearing up. I mean, it's kind of like makes me tear up thinking about it, but he was tearing it up because I think the emotions, like, at that point had really fully hit him like that we probably shouldn't be there, but for whatever reason, it wasn't, you know, our time to go.

[Narrator / Emily Jones]

As they sat there, the friends grappled with their miraculous survival, recognizing the multitude of divine interventions that had aligned that day to protect them. Captain Rick's quick response and decisive actions, keeping the boat afloat as long as possible and instructing everyone to get their life jackets were crucial. Another huge part of this miracle was Ryan's inspired thinking and selfless act in making sure each man had a life jacket just before being swept off the boat. And finally, critical to this rescue were the people who risked their own lives to save the men just in time before the icy waters would have claimed their lives. In the aftermath of this harrowing experience, the friends gathered at a local brew pub to warm up and process the day's events. They shared stories, laughter, and relief, their bond strengthened by the ordeal they had just endured. But Adam felt an urge to reflect on this survival in a more meaningful way. Once the friends all went their separate ways, he decided to attend an evening service at his church.

[Adam]

And I went to church. I was in the evening service at our church. And I remember walking through the foyer of the church, and my sh. T was squeaking. And, like, people are like, oh, hey. Hey, Adam. How's it going?

[Narrator / Emily Jones]

Good.

[Adam]

And I'm like, good. Really good. Things are going well. And, like, there was one. One of my friends I saw there, and. And I was like, dude, I just survived this. I have to give you this story. And I told him real briefly about me being in a boat with these guys and the boat sinking. And he was like, no. Like, whatever, dude. No, you didn't. And I was like, feel my pants. And there was still one. They were still standing. And he's like, are you serious? And I was like, look, look, I'm walking. My shoes are squeaking. I'm like, I was in the Columbia river, like, three hours ago. I'm not even joking. God had his hand on my life.

[Narrator / Emily Jones]

All of the men feel their survival was a miracle, and the miracle has changed them for good. Here's how it changed Neil, who was in medical residency at the time.

[Neil]

Yeah, I think we all have our own testimony of what God's done with our lives since that moment. And feeling called to serve out his purpose. And I know for my life, I've got five kids. And without those humbling experiences, you can really feel like you're a very successful and very productive person. But when you realize that all of that can be taken in the blink of an eye and that you are just so blessed to have the things that you have, it just changes your whole perspective on life. And I'm. I'm just so grateful.

[Narrator / Emily Jones]

Ryan agrees.

[Ryan]

You could say if, if, if, if, if. You know, and this is why our faith is important to us. Because, like, you could say it's serendipity, or you could say it's whatever, and you could write it off as all kinds of different things. But the reality is there are so many things line up that, to me, points to a divine creator that loves and cares for me, and he has a plan for all of us in our lives. And when it's our time to go, there's nothing you can do to change that. When it's not your time to go, there's nothing you can do to change that. So you gotta live your life as if you know God's in your life and tell people about him and, you know, testify to the things that he does.

[Narrator / Emily Jones]

For Chris, he still wonders why miracles happen, but he is incredibly grateful for this miracle.

[Chris]

I don't have a reason why I'm thankful for It. And some of the most interesting people I've ever met in my life have had many, many miracles, you know, happen. So I don't have an answer on why or why I think miracles happen. I'm just really grateful that this one did.

[Narrator / Emily Jones]

Adam is thankful as well and has especially had his life changed after this event.

[Adam]

I've had a lot of great opportunity to do missions internationally, and I've done ministry in Africa and a number of countries and. And in Italy as well, where I met my wife. But the amount of things that God has in store for us, you know, it doesn't end with a sinking of a boat. And I've truly enjoyed being able to go and serve God and share. Share his love, share his word, and like that. That wouldn't have happened if my life jacket hadn't been given to me, if the boat hadn't been turned around, if people hadn't rescued me out of the water. And is that God put everybody in place so that we would survive that. And, yeah, I never would have met my wife, and I love my wife.

[Narrator / Emily Jones]

All of these men have emerged from this experience not just as survivors, but as warriors, profoundly grateful for the second chance that they have been given, vowing to live out God's purpose for them while cherishing every moment life has to offer.

[Ryan]

Wow.

[Holly Worthington]

Our family used to vacation on the Oregon coast all the time. And I've heard of so many stories of boats going down and people drowning on that part of the Columbia River.

[Co-host / Podcast Host]

Yeah.

[Holly Worthington]

Like, it is amazing that those guys survived.

[Narrator / Emily Jones]

It is.

[Co-host / Podcast Host]

Clearly, God was looking out for them.

[Narrator / Emily Jones]

It just.

[Co-host / Podcast Host]

It wasn't their time to go. And, you know, after we interviewed these guys, we actually found Captain Rick and we got to interview him as well.

[Holly Worthington]

He's great.

[Narrator / Emily Jones]

Yeah.

[Co-host / Podcast Host]

His perspective was so interesting because just being the captain of the boat, he had a different experience. And he shared something with us that really drove home how close they came to dying. And I'm not even sure that these guys knew how close it was.

[Holly Worthington]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

Well, the couple who had crossed right in front of me, we had crossed their transom, and it's a spot off of the. A jetty there on the Columbia river, where I've passed through it a hundred times before. And we just happened to go behind that couple and dip around them because I didn't want to cut across in front of them as they were running. So we went around behind, and I remember when I straightened back out and started to turn back to the west, there was a drop in the swell, so I hit a trough in a small wave. And I remember seeing a dark shadow as I was cutting across, and that shadow was as big as a car. And I knew it was a rock, and I decided something in my head told me not to cut across it. We were doing about 20 miles an hour, and I said, don't cut across the side of it because we're going to get swept into it by the tide. And I was afraid of clipping the edge of the boat or the chine underneath. And then I knew that it would flip us over sideways and throw everybody out. So I decided, rather than do that, to actually just square up on it and hit it straight on.

[Holly Worthington]

Oh, my gosh, I have chills. Like, if he hadn't turned that boat the way he did, all of those men would have been thrown from the boat without their life jackets, and there's no way they would have survived. I mean, think about Adam, how he was being, like, dragged down by his waiters, even with his life jacket on.

[Co-host / Podcast Host]

Yeah, they all had a ton of rain gear on, and the current was so fast, it would be so scary. And I think about the fact that

[Narrator / Emily Jones]

just everything had to fall into place for them to be saved.

[Co-host / Podcast Host]

And one of the things that definitely had to happen was Ryan getting everyone a life jacket as they're literally being swept off the boat.

[Holly Worthington]

I know he would hand someone a life jacket, and they would be gone. Like, some didn't even get a chance to buckle their life jackets.

[Co-host / Podcast Host]

I know. And I think the fact that he had experienced this avalanche a couple months before this, where unfortunately, lives were lost, I mean, in that scenario, Ryan didn't act fast. He actually kind of froze in that scenario.

[Holly Worthington]

You know, we've joked about lizard brain on our podcast, but truly, Ryan told us that when the avalanche happened, people were just in shock, and they didn't react as quickly as they would have imagined that they would in that situation.

[Co-host / Podcast Host]

Well, yeah, and he knew what that felt like. He knew that crippling fear that overtakes your body and you can't think. And he was such a hero. The fact that he gave everyone a life jacket before he got a life jacket himself. I mean, he had only had time to get one arm in his life jacket before he was in the water.

[Holly Worthington]

He was truly selfless.

[Narrator / Emily Jones]

So selfless.

[Holly Worthington]

Yeah. And all of the guys, all of them spoke about how Captain Rick and Ryan were such heroes in this story.

[Co-host / Podcast Host]

And it just shows that sometimes there is a purpose for why we go through hard things.

[Narrator / Emily Jones]

In this case, Ryan went through this

[Co-host / Podcast Host]

really big challenge Going through the avalanche. Yeah, but if he hadn't, they may all have died.

[Holly Worthington]

Yeah. And we don't know why God orchestrates things the way he does. Like, no one person gets a miracle and another one doesn't. And we've had people ask us that, and we don't have the answer to that. I just know that God has all the puzzle pieces and we don't.

[Co-host / Podcast Host]

Yeah, he has it all figured out. And one last thing that we want to mention before we finish. We asked Captain Rick if he thought

[Narrator / Emily Jones]

that this was a miracle.

[Co-host / Podcast Host]

And here's what he said.

[Ryan]

I think everything came together in the right steps to get us through it. So I think just having people near us at the time, those guys stayed calm. I think that led to the outcome. And it was a beautiful day. That was a big deal. If it had been foggy and if the current had been running out harder on the tide, things would have been very complicated for a rescue situation like that. Yeah, a huge amount of things just came together and led to the outcome that we had. So, yeah, I do. Everything. All the pieces just fell into place.

[Co-host / Podcast Host]

We're so glad that everybody made it out okay. And believe it or not, Captain Rick actually invited these guys to come out and do another crabbing trip that they're gonna do in the next few months.

[Holly Worthington]

Hopefully it goes a lot smoother than the first time.

[Co-host / Podcast Host]

Right. I'm sure it'll be amazing.

[Narrator / Emily Jones]

So.

[Holly Worthington]

Oh, have fun, guys.

[Co-host / Podcast Host]

Well, we want to thank you guys for joining us today, and thank you for all of your encouraging comments and for sharing our podcast. Yes, we'll see you guys next time.

[Holly Worthington]

See you then. Thank you for joining us. If you have a miracle to share, contact us@the Miracle Files.com or find us on social media. We release new episodes each Monday.

[Narrator / Emily Jones]

Yes.

[Co-host / Podcast Host]

So don't forget Miracle Mondays. 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.