Buried in Water: The Siuslaw River Miracle | Ep. 34

Summary

The Miracle Files: Episode 34 – "Buried in Water: The Siuslaw River Miracle"

Overview

In Episode 34 of The Miracle Files, hosted by sisters Holly and Emily Worthington, listeners are taken on an emotional journey of tragedy transformed into a powerful testimony of faith, community, and divine intervention. Titled "Buried in Water: The Siuslaw River Miracle," this episode recounts the harrowing ordeal of Enrique "Gordo" Lacouture, a young man whose life hangs in the balance following a near-drowning incident on the Siuslaw River in Florence, Oregon. Through firsthand accounts and insightful reflections, Holly and Emily illuminate how miracles can manifest in the most unexpected circumstances, reaffirming their belief that "there are more miracles than murders" and that "God is always good."

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Setting the Scene

The episode opens on a sunny summer day in July 2020, at the Siuslaw River's rockslides—a local haven for water enthusiasts. Enrique, affectionately known as Gordo despite his lean frame, invites his sister Angie and their family to enjoy a day by the river. Simultaneously, Anne Lacouture and her family are also present, setting the stage for a life-altering event.

The Incident Unfolds

As Enrique and his nephews enjoy the natural water slide, a mishap occurs. Angie notices her brother Enrique missing from their sight, prompting her to cry out in fear:

Angie [07:10]: "I look around and I don't see my brother. And so I yell at Gabe, I'm like, hey, where's Gordo?"

Angie's panic is palpable as Enrique remains submerged and unresponsive. Despite immediate attempts to rescue him, the deep, dark waters of the river pose a significant challenge:

Anne Lacouture [07:59]: "The water is dark. Like you can't see the bottom. People ended up diving in and kind of just feeling around in the water to see if they could feel a body."

A Community Mobilizes

As the situation grows dire, Anne Lacouture describes the rising panic among the bystanders. The community bands together, with multiple individuals diving into the river to search for Enrique. Robert, Enrique's brother-in-law, plays a pivotal role in the rescue effort:

Anne Lacouture [09:16]: "And for several minutes, nobody could feel anything. But then eventually there was a man that felt something on his leg."

Robert successfully locates Enrique and pulls him to shore, but the challenges are far from over. With no immediate access to medical help, and the nearest hospital over an hour away, Enrique's survival hinges on the collective efforts of those present.

Prayer and Perseverance

As Enrique lies unconscious, Elisa, Angie’s pregnant sister, begins performing CPR. Anne Lacouture steps forward to offer spiritual support:

Anne Lacouture [12:58]: "Can I pray with you? Would it help for me to say a prayer?"

Her heartfelt prayer provides comfort to Angie and her mother, embodying the episode’s theme of divine intervention through community support.

Medical Miracle and Recovery

Despite the dire circumstances, a miracle unfolds. Enrique begins to show signs of life after sustained CPR efforts by the attending medical professionals:

Emily Jones [13:59]: "After what felt like a lifetime, another glimmer of hope appeared."

Though initially critical, Enrique's condition improves steadily. Over the following days, his recovery exceeds all expectations, culminating in a full discharge from the hospital with no long-term effects—a testament to the collective prayers and efforts of those who surrounded him that day.

Celebration of Life and Gratitude

Weeks later, the families come together to celebrate Enrique’s miraculous survival. Anne Lacouture receives a heartfelt message from Enrique, expressing his gratitude despite his memory loss from the incident:

Anne Lacouture [15:30]: "I hope you are okay with her sharing your number with me... To be honest, I don't remember a thing."

The joyous reunion at the barbecue underscores the episode’s message of hope and the enduring power of community and faith.

Reflections and Insights

In the concluding sections, Holly and Emily reflect on the profound lessons from Enrique’s story. They emphasize the importance of community, the relentless dedication of medical professionals, and the sustaining power of prayer:

Holly Worthington [21:03]: "This story really was about community."

Gabe [21:25]: "And it's not like most of these people even knew each other."

They also highlight the critical role of continuous CPR in Enrique's survival, educating listeners on how persistent chest compressions can maintain oxygen circulation, thereby offering Enrique a fighting chance:

Gabe [21:38]: "But as we've done research, it's actually the chest compressions that keeps, like, the oxygen in the blood circulating to the brain, and it kept him alive."

Conclusion

"Buried in Water: The Siuslaw River Miracle" is a stirring episode that encapsulates the essence of The Miracle Files—highlighting real-life stories where faith, community, and divine intervention converge to produce extraordinary outcomes. Holly and Emily’s compassionate storytelling, combined with the genuine experiences of those involved, offers listeners a beacon of hope and a reminder to seek and recognize miracles in their own lives.

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Angie [07:10]: "I look around and I don't see my brother. And so I yell at Gabe, I'm like, hey, where's Gordo?"
• Anne Lacouture [07:59]: "The water is dark. Like you can't see the bottom. People ended up diving in and kind of just feeling around in the water to see if they could feel a body."
• Anne Lacouture [12:58]: "Can I pray with you? Would it help for me to say a prayer?"
• Holly Worthington [21:03]: "This story really was about community."
• Gabe [21:38]: "But as we've done research, it's actually the chest compressions that keeps, like, the oxygen in the blood circulating to the brain, and it kept him alive."

Final Thoughts

The Miracle Files episode not only narrates the miraculous survival of Enrique but also serves as an inspiring reminder of the goodness and light that persist even in moments of potential tragedy. By sharing such uplifting stories, Holly and Emily encourage listeners to remain hopeful and vigilant in recognizing the miracles that surround them daily.

Transcript

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[Emily Jones]

Angie ran down the bank of the river, her eyes searching the rocks until she spotted one of her sons, Gabe. He didn't look right.

[Angie]

And I look around and I don't see my brother. And so I yell at Gabe, I'm like, hey, where's Gordo? And he goes, gordo's under the water.

[Anne Lacouture]

There started to be a panic that was kind of rising. There seems to be something wrong.

[Angie]

So out of the top of my lungs, I go crazy and I start yelling.

[Anne Lacouture]

The water is dark. Like you can't see the bottom. People ended up diving in and kind of just feeling around in the water to see if they could feel a body.

[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. Today's story takes place on the Oregon coast. Again, kind of like our boat wreck episode. But this is down further south, near a little town called Florence.

[Gabe]

Yeah. My friend actually shared this story with us and she has been listening to our podcast for over a year. But as she was thinking about the miracles she's had in her life, she.

[Emily Jones]

She remembered a miracle that her sister.

[Gabe]

In law was a part of. And I'm so glad she did because it's an amazing story.

[Holly Worthington]

Yeah. So keep thinking about the miracles in your lives because you probably have some that you haven't shared with us. You're holding out. We know you are.

[Gabe]

We've had a lot of people tell us that lately. Like, I don't know, I was hesitating.

[Holly Worthington]

Yeah, I know. People are like, I really wanted to share this, but I've been nervous and we get it, we get it. But share your stories with us. We love it when you share your stories with us.

[Angie]

Yep.

[Gabe]

All right, let's jump in.

[Emily Jones]

At an early age, Enrique's family started calling him Gordo and the name stuck. He doesn't mind. The funny thing is that Enrique is anything but Gordo. He's actually quite thin and the name fits his fun loving personality. But you're going to hear from two perspectives in this story. One from a woman named Anne, who calls him Enrique, and one from his sister Angie, who lovingly calls him Gordo. We'll call him Enrique. Our story starts on a sunny weekday in Florence, Oregon. The year was 2020. So if I tell you it was the summer at the start of the COVID crisis, you'll understand why outdoor activities were especially popular at the time. Enrique, an energetic 24 year old college student, invited his sister Angie and their family to go to the Suslaw river to a place known only to locals as the rockslides. Here's Angie.

[Angie]

My brother had invited us to go over to the river. He goes, hey, let's go to the river. Since our sister Elisa is in town with her husband, like, let's go to the river. So we went to the river and you know, we were having fun at the river. It was just my mom, my nephew, my kids, my sister and her husband.

[Emily Jones]

At the same time, another local, Anne Lacouture, was heading to the river with her own family.

[Anne Lacouture]

Our family goes to the rock slides usually at least once a summer. It's a really fun location. And what it is, it's this little section on the Siuslaw river where there's basically like a natural water slide. So there's kind of like these pools that are formed where you can swim and you can climb up the rocks and jump off the rocks and there's a waterfall. The rocks kind of go downhill in the water and the water runs along the rocks and hits has made them smooth. And so if you sit on them, especially if you have a tube or one of those blue mats you'd ride on a water slide. It's really slippery and so you ride down just like a water slide and it's really, really fun. And then at the end of the rock slide is another pool area that's deep enough to swim. And there's a fallen log that kind of stretches across that swimming hole and people often will kind of jump off it into the swimming hole. So July 2020, our family, along with several other families, made the plan to go to the rockslides that day.

[Emily Jones]

The sun beamed brightly, shimmering on the river and warming the sunbathers on the rocks. The sound of water, laughter and occasional splashes filled the Air. No one expected danger to strike. Enrique, Angie, their mother, their sister, Elisa, their brother in law. Robert and Angie's two sons headed to the natural water slide, something they'd done many times. Angie chatted with her mother and sister, enjoying the warmth of the sun. Enrique and Angie's two sons jumped off a log into the pool below. Ann was also enjoying the day with her family and friends, when suddenly the familiar sounds of laughter and splashing were interrupted by a different sound altogether. Frantic mumbling. Then voices ris and almost instantly, people screaming. It was the sound of panic. A little girl had been sitting up on a rock and had seen Enrique and his nephews jumping into the pool. But Enrique had never resurfaced. And the little girl had told her family that a man went under the water and had never come up. The father immediately started looking in the pool.

[Angie]

So my mom and I were talking and then out of nowhere, I lose sight of my brother and my son. And so I look at my mom and I'm like, hey, do you see Gordo? She goes, I can't see. She wears glasses. She didn't have her glasses that day. I was like, okay. So I started to kind of panic and I was like, I'm not liking this. Like, I felt something in my heart essentially that something wasn't right. And so I was looking for my brother and my son.

[Emily Jones]

Angie ran down the bank of the river, her eyes searching the rocks until she spotted one of her sons, Gabe, sitting up on a boulder next to the bottom pool. He didn't look right. The little girl sat next to him, also looking terrified.

[Angie]

And I look around and I don't see my brother. And so I yell at Gabe, I'm like, hey, where's Gordo? And he's scared, mind you. He's like trying to hold on. And he goes, gordo's under the water.

[Emily Jones]

Gordo is under the water. Those words rang in Angie's ears. Her heart dropped as her eyes searched the dark pool beneath the water slide. Enrique was nowhere to be seen.

[Angie]

So out of the top of my lungs, I go crazy and I start yelling.

[Emily Jones]

Angie's brother in law, Robert, joined her and jumped into the water searching for Enrique. But the water was deep, an inky dark blue. No one could see Enrique at all. Beneath the surface. Anne heard the commotion from the top of the rock slides.

[Anne Lacouture]

There started to be a panic that was kind of rising from the bottom of the rock slides, where that pool is, to the top of the rock slides. You could tell something was wrong because there was A lady that was kind of in a panic. She didn't speak English and she was crying and talking to people and other people were running back down and coming back up. There seems to be something wrong.

[Emily Jones]

As Robert, Enrique's brother in law, swam through the water trying to find Enrique, bystanders gathered around to see what was happening. Ann noticed a few women fretting on the shore. She was pretty sure the older one was the missing man's mother, and her heart went out to her. Meanwhile, Robert and others kept searching in the water.

[Anne Lacouture]

The water is dark. It's not like crystal blue, like you can't stand above it and look in and see the ground by any means. There's all these dark rocks under there and moss and who knows what else, but you can't see the bottom. And so people ended up jumping in and diving in and kind of just feeling around the water to see if they could feel a body.

[Emily Jones]

Tension spread throughout the crowd as the minutes ticked past. And with each passing moment, hope began to dwindle that Enrique would be found in time.

[Anne Lacouture]

And for several minutes, nobody could feel anything. But then eventually there was a man that felt something on his leg. He was kind of, you know, kind of vertically in the water and he could feel something with his leg. And so eventually they dove down to where he was feeling something on his leg.

[Emily Jones]

That man was Robert, and the something on his leg was in fact Enrique's limp body. Robert dove down and pulled Enrique to the shore.

[Angie]

Eventually he pulled him out. And so I see a bunch of people coming down to help us out, which Ann was one and her whole family was there.

[Emily Jones]

Enrique lay on the rocks unconscious. He had been under the water for at least five minutes, and without immediate medical care, he would surely die. Yet the nearest hospital was over an hour away, and in this isolated area, there was no cell service to call for help.

[Angie]

His lips were blue. He wasn't breathing. He had consumed a lot of water. We already knew he was pretty much, you know, no pulse or anything.

[Emily Jones]

Elisa, Angie's and Enrique's pregnant sister, immediately knelt over Enrique and began doing cpr. Angie watched, feeling complete despair. Anne also stood by. It was a worst case scenario. As Enrique's mother also looked on in tears. It seemed there was no hope. But sometimes when there seems to be no hope, that's when a glimmer appears somehow. On that summer day, in a secluded, mostly undiscovered spot in western Oregon, medical help was closer than Angie realized. And there wasn't just one person there with medical experience. Incredibly, there Was essentially a whole emergency room full of doctors and nurses. On scene.

[Anne Lacouture]

Two of my friends are emergency room doctors, and they had the day off that day, and they were with us that day. And one of those emergency room doctors had a brother with her that was also a nurse. And it also happened that on the river that day, there was also at least one other medical professional and another person that was also like a military nurse as well.

[Emily Jones]

The medical professionals all gathered together and began taking turns doing CPR on Enrique. When one would become too tired to continue, another medical professional would take over. Anne watched them work on the unresponsive man. She tried to think about what she could possibly do to help.

[Anne Lacouture]

I felt like, what can I do in this situation? Like, this family has this person in their family that has drowned and is now unresponsive. I can't do cpr, and I'm not a doctor, and I don't know anything about what to do. But I did send my son. I said, go to the road and go. Drive to wherever you've got cell Service and call 91 1. Somebody drowned and we need it. We need an ambulance here as soon as possible. In the meantime, the nurses and doctors were all surrounding Enrique, and they were doing cpr.

[Emily Jones]

It was a start, but Ann still felt like she hadn't done enough to help. She looked at the mother and sister of the drowning victim. They were hugging each other and crying.

[Anne Lacouture]

And the mom was hysterical, of course, she was just hysterical. And she didn't speak English, but her daughter Angie, Enrique's sister, could speak English. And so I asked her, can I pray with you? Would it help for me to say a prayer?

[Emily Jones]

Angie translated for Ann, and Enrique's mother nodded her head.

[Anne Lacouture]

So I just kind of huddled near Angie and her mom, and I said a prayer that they would be comforted, that they would feel peace, and of course, that the people that were trying to help Enrique would be able to give them the best help possible and just continued to stay with them and kind of hold the mom's hand in Angie's hand and just. Just tell him, you know, it's gonna be okay. Everything's gonna be okay. And I didn't know if it was gonna be okay. I thought probably it wouldn't. People don't survive drowning very often, But I just thought maybe the role that I can play is just to try to comfort.

[Emily Jones]

The river fell silent as the CPR continued for the next hour.

[Anne Lacouture]

Enrique was completely unresponsive at all. And so we thought, this is probably not going to Have a good ending, you know. And it was very, very, very sad.

[Angie]

I remember they were rotating the whole time so there was quite a bit of people trying to help him.

[Emily Jones]

After what felt like a lifetime, another glimmer of hope appeared. A dim glimmer, but again it was something the medical professionals felt. A faint pulse. And shortly after, Enrique started breathing on his own. Word spread through the crowd. Enrique was alive. But unfortunately, Enrique still lay unconscious and in critical condition. His life and future hung by a tenuous thread. The ambulance took over an hour and 15 minutes to arrive. There was no road to the bottom of the river. So the medical professionals who had worked so tirelessly on Enrique used what little strength they had left to make a stretcher out of a boogie board and carry Enrique's lifeless looking body to the top. They had done all they could do.

[Anne Lacouture]

There was kind of this hush that went over the river, Kind of out of respect and reverence for what was going on. And of course we were all praying. And they transported Enrique to the top of the river and then up this really steep staircase that leads to the road.

[Emily Jones]

The ambulance drove Enrique to a clearing where a helicopter sat waiting. Enrique was then life flighted to the hospital, leaving behind a group of anxious friends and family who had witnessed the incredible efforts to save him. Before they left that day, Anne got Angie's cell phone number. And the next day, Ann reached out to Angie.

[Anne Lacouture]

I said, hello, Angie, this is Ann Lauture. I was with you at the rock slide yesterday when your brother had his accident. I just wanted to let you know we have not stopped thinking about and praying for him and the rest of you. I hope you have felt the lord's comfort. And she said, hi, thank you so much for reaching out and for your prayers as well. We can't stop thanking God for having you all there. It was not a coincidence. God sent all of you because he knew my brother would need of your help. We are so thankful that all of you were there for my brother and my family. Thank you so much.

[Emily Jones]

In the hospital, Enrique remained in a coma. He had gone over an hour without breathing and without a pulse. The doctors were not optimistic.

[Angie]

When we spoke to the doctor that saw him, she said, yeah, he's young, but even if he were to bounce back, I don't think he'll be 100% fully recovered because he had a lot of swelling in his brain. And the doctor said for him to go five minutes under the water, that's a long time. And so she goes in seven days if he doesn't wake up, we're going to have to, you know, reconsider other options. So my mom, I remember she was like, you know, doctor, you know what's best for him. So she goes, all I'm asking God is that if he's gonna take him, I'm at peace with it taking him because I know God let me have this time with him. But she's like, I just been telling God, like, if you're gonna leave him, don't leave him with any brain damage or anything because he's very active and so he can't stay still, you know what I mean?

[Emily Jones]

For the next seven days, family members took turns keeping vigil by his bedside, praying together and seeking comfort in each other's presence. Angie prayed the rosary, her heart filled with faith that maybe a miracle would still take place. Then, on the seventh day, during a quiet moment, there was a third glimmer. Something was happening. It started with a small squeeze of the nurse's hand. A flicker of life. Enrique's hospital room erupted into shouts of surprise and relief. It was a baby step, but his family couldn't help but hope for more. Eight days after the accident, Anne received this text message from Angie. Hi, I wanted to share with you that my brother started moving and following commands. Last night I was able to talk to him and he could hear me and listened to me. The doctor evaluated him. This morning she called my sister and told her that he is recovering and that he might have a small long term effect but nothing to worry about. I know God is moving mountains for him. Him. Thank you so much for your prayers and for the support and help. We appreciate all of you who are at the lake. Please pray for him to completely heal for his soon recovery. Anne responded, this is an absolute miracle. Thank you for updating me and please continue to do so as we continue to pray four days days later, Ann received a short message, but with four exclamation points. It simply read, my brother is off the ventilator. And then just a week after that, Anne received this message from my brother is doing great. He was discharged on Monday and was sent to a physical rehabilitation center. He's still there, but will be coming home Monday. Anne couldn't believe that the man who had been underwater for over five minutes, who lay unresponsive with no pulse or breathing for over an hour, was recovering with no long term effects. It was beyond miraculous. Weeks later, Anne and the families who had gathered that fateful day began putting together plans for a barbecue to celebrate Enrique's survival. Anne Received another text message. It read, hello, is this Anne? My name is Enrique. You have been talking to my sister about a celebration for my recovery. I hope you are okay with her sharing your number with me. He then went on to say, I hope I didn't give you all too big of a scare that day. To be honest, I don't remember a thing. Anne responded, it was a very, very terrifying experience. So I'm glad you don't remember. But it's been such a powerful experience to have been a part of. Although Enrique declined to be interviewed because he has no memory of his accident, he is very grateful for the men and women who saved his life. Later, as Enrique arrived at the barbecue, vibrant and full of life, the joy was overwhelming. He and Anne embraced. Enrique expressed his immense gratitude. Everyone shared stories, laughter, and tears of relief, grateful for the miracle they had all been part of that day. A day that could have ended in tragedy, but instead became a testament to hope, community, and the power of prayer.

[Holly Worthington]

Wow. So this story really was about community.

[Angie]

Yeah.

[Holly Worthington]

Like, I feel like God used all of these different people to help save Enrique's life. These medical experts. And then you have people who are just there supporting and praying. Just so many people came together to help Enrique in this situation. Yeah.

[Gabe]

And it's not like most of these people even knew each other.

[Holly Worthington]

Right.

[Gabe]

One question that I had when I was listening to this was, why did they keep doing CPR for over an hour? Because, you know, I'm not a medical professional, but I would have assumed at that point that it was too late.

[Emily Jones]

He's gone.

[Gabe]

But as we've done research, it's actually the chest compressions that keeps, like, the oxygen in the blood circulating to the brain, and it kept him alive. And he is so fortunate that he had these medical professionals there.

[Holly Worthington]

Yeah. And can you imagine if it'd just been, like, one person there trying to do that for that long? I mean, over an hour? I'm sure it was exhausting. It was such a miracle that they had so many of these medical professionals there who could take turns, who could help each other with this.

[Emily Jones]

Yeah.

[Gabe]

If it had been me, Enrique would have been a goner. He would have been toast.

[Emily Jones]

Sorry.

[Gabe]

I would have had no clue what to do.

[Holly Worthington]

We have some talents, but, Emily, you and I are probably not the people to turn to if you need somebody to save your life. Sadly, we wish we were. We wish we were.

[Gabe]

But we could pray with you like Ann did.

[Holly Worthington]

Yes.

[Gabe]

I love that she found a way to serve, even though she wasn't a medical expert. And that's what you're talking about.

[Holly Worthington]

Totally pray with you. Yeah. And honestly, I do think that being a comforter is a gift for sure. Just to have someone there who was that reassuring voice who was praying with Angie and her mom. I'm sure that meant so much to them.

[Gabe]

Yeah. Ann was amazing. And by the way, she has an awesome Instagram page if you want to follow Ann. Her Instagram page is Ann La Couture.

[Holly Worthington]

6 a n n l a c o u t u r e c 6 yeah.

[Gabe]

And she is an interior designer. She has amazing ideas, so go check her out.

[Holly Worthington]

Yeah, she's all about bright color. She's got a bunch of decorating ideas and DIY projects, and I could waste a lot of time on her Instagram page. So, yeah, enjoy.

[Gabe]

She's awesome. We want to thank Ann and Angie for sharing this experience with us. We're so grateful that Enrique had a full recovery and we want to wish him all the best in his future as well.

[Holly Worthington]

Yes.

[Gabe]

And thank you all for joining us today.

[Holly Worthington]

Yeah. Make sure to subscribe. Leave us a review. Share this podcast so you can help us to continue to spread this light. Thank you for joining us. If you have a miracle to share, contact [e-mail] or find us on Facebook.

[Emily Jones]

We're now releasing multiple episodes each month, so subscribe. 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.

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