The Rogue Wave & the Lost Boat | Ep. 70

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Rogue Wave & the Lost Boat | The Miracle Files – Ep. 70

Date: June 1, 2026
Hosts: Emily Jones & Holly Worthington
Guest: Kyle Willis
Theme: Miraculous survival, family and faith in the face of disaster

---

Episode Overview

In this gripping episode of The Miracle Files, sisters Emily and Holly recount the harrowing and awe-inspiring true story of three brothers who survived hours stranded in the Atlantic Ocean after a rogue wave hurled them from their fishing boat. Through first-person accounts by survivor Kyle Willis, the episode explores themes of perseverance, prayer, the power of brotherhood, divine intervention, and how this miraculous event forever changed their lives.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. A Routine Fishing Trip Turns Deadly (00:09–06:13)

• Setting the scene:

  • November 25, 2007 (Sunday after Thanksgiving).

  • Kyle Willis, his twin Kevin, and older brother Michael go deep-sea fishing off Boynton Beach, Florida.

  • Weather seemed normal; they fished four miles out in 600 ft deep water.

    “The fishing trip was something we did often whenever we were in town from college.”
    — Kyle Willis (02:24)

• Unexpected danger:

  • Their older brother Brian and Michael’s pregnant wife Amy stayed ashore (a fact later seen as providential).

  • The waves worsen unexpectedly.

  • Kevin becomes seasick; they decide to return to shore.

    “My twin brother was getting seasick...So we decided this was not worth it.”
    — Kyle Willis (04:05)

• Disaster strikes:

  • While turning back, a rogue wave slams the boat.

  • All three brothers are thrown overboard; the boat, still running, speeds away.

    "Not 30 seconds later, everything changed.”
    — Kyle Willis (04:37)

    “The boat was still full throttle, and it was moving away from us in a fast way.”
    — Kyle Willis (06:06)

2. Adrift & Alone: Survival Against the Odds (06:13–12:47)

• Immediate danger:

  • No life jackets—they were stored below deck.

  • The current drags the brothers farther out; they attempt to conserve energy and flag possible rescuers.

    “We tried to swim a little bit, and within 30 seconds, just completely exhausted.”
    — Kyle Willis (07:33)

  • Kevin is weakest from seasickness; Kyle supports him as much as he can.

• Desperation sets in:

  • The brothers try to stay positive, with Michael offering hope despite grim prospects.

    “My oldest brother Michael said, hey, we're going to be fine. We're going to drift in inward to shore. Even though he knew that we weren't drifting towards shore, I think it was more of him trying to keep us positive.”
    — Kyle Willis (08:54)

• Brush with hope:

  • They spot helicopters in the distance; after frantic waving, the first helicopter misses them, contributing to a moment of profound despair.

  “They came within…it felt like 100 yards from us. And we were waving and screaming and they passed right over us…they couldn’t see us, we were so small in the water.”
  — Kyle Willis (11:25, 11:56)

3. Faith and Miraculous Rescue (12:47–16:59)

• A spiritual turning point:

  • Facing possible death, Kyle finds himself reaching out to God in a new, deeply personal way.

    “That was, I think, the moment panic began to set in and deep sense of prayer and crying out to the Lord.”
    — Kyle Willis (12:47)

    “It was just recognizing my own sin…I needed in order to be right before him.”
    — Kyle Willis (13:48)

• Rescue is finally realized:

  • Another helicopter arrives. After initially missing them, it circles back and the Coast Guard spots the brothers.

    “We didn't think they saw us, but they did circle back. And they did, in fact, find us. It was the U.S. Coast Guard.”
    — Kyle Willis (15:42)

  • The brothers are rescued and brought ashore, reuniting with anxious family members.

4. The Miraculous Boat & Chain of Events (16:59–19:42)

• The boat’s “impossible” journey:

  • Unmanned, the boat traveled a perfectly straight line to the shore, drawing attention from a passerby who notified authorities.

    “It could have gone anywhere, but it had gone perfectly straight into shore where it crashed from four miles out.”
    — Kyle Willis (16:59)

• Amy’s key role:

  • Michael’s wife Amy, who hadn't joined the trip, is able to direct authorities to their usual fishing spot, aiding in the targeted search.

    “She knew where we fished. She was able to tell the authorities, and that helped them in that search process.”
    — Kyle Willis (18:12)

• Family, prayer, and timely intervention:

  • News of the lost brothers reaches Oral Roberts University and initiates a prayer hotline, further fueling the sense of “divine appointment.”

5. Aftermath: Transformation & Testimony (19:42–20:45)

• Personal transformation:

  • For Kyle, the miracle wasn’t just physical survival but a spiritual awakening, pushing him into a life of ministry.

    “It was in the water that [faith] went from my lips to my heart to truly surrender my life to him…”
    — Kyle Willis (19:42)

  • He has spent 18 years with Wycliffe Bible Translators, citing the event as life-redefining.

    “He had a greater purpose for me in my life…what I would do following that accident.”
    — Kyle Willis (20:38)

• The miracle’s reach:

  • Strengthened brotherhood, deepened faith, and new life trajectories for all involved.

    “Mercy seemed to move toward them from every direction at once…when fear was deepest and hope was smallest, that mercy became personal.”
    — Emily Jones (21:18)

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On how miracles often begin unnoticed (01:47):

  “That's how so many of these stories begin. Not with danger, not with fear, but with something ordinary.”
  — Emily Jones

• On the helplessness of being lost at sea (12:05):

  “Rescue might be impossible. It might not come at all. Fear hung over Kyle and his brothers like a dark shadow.”
  — Emily Jones

• On divine intervention and spiritual awakening (19:42):

  “I would have said I was a Christian at that moment…But it was in the water that went from my lips to my heart to truly surrender my life to him. And that was a transforming day for me.”
  — Kyle Willis

---

Post-Story Discussion & Reflections (22:15–29:45)

The Boat as “Lassie”

• Holly and Emily reflect on the boat’s straight shot to shore, likening it to Lassie, the famed rescue dog.

  “I feel like they need to name this boat Lassie after this.”
  — Holly Worthington (22:19)

• When found, the boat was treated as a crime scene until the full story was uncovered.

  "They found our cell phones...and called my mom first and said, 'hey, we found your son's boat. Everybody's missing.'"
  — Kyle Willis (23:16)

The Importance of Life Jackets

• Both hosts stress the lesson: always wear a life jacket and heed promptings for safety.

  “If you get those promptings from the Holy Spirit...act fast.”
  — Holly Worthington (29:20)

On Perspective & Providence

• The story prompts broader reflection on how unexpected turns, disappointments, or missed plans might be gifts in disguise.

  “You look back at it...and you can see God's plan all along and see how he guided you and helped you the whole time.”
  — Holly Worthington (26:40)

---

Informative Segments (24:16–25:25)

About Wycliffe Bible Translators:

• Kyle Willis explains the mission to translate the Bible for those without access in their own language, inspired partly by his miraculous experience.

  “If your God is so great, why doesn't he speak our language? And that totally rocked him.”
  — Kyle Willis (24:27)

---

Lessons & Closing Thoughts

• Life jackets save lives—never delay when prompted to use safety equipment.
• God’s providence may show up in what seem like coincidences, missed plans, or last-minute changes.
• Life’s trajectory can dramatically shift after profound experiences—faith, family, and the pursuit of service are highlighted as enduring outcomes.
• Miracles can be physical, spiritual, or both.

---

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Fishing Trip & Setup: 00:09–04:05
• Rogue Wave Strikes: 04:37–06:13
• Survival & Despair: 06:13–13:48
• Faith, Prayer, and Rescue: 13:48–16:59
• The Boat's Miraculous Path & Key Roles: 16:59–19:42
• Personal Transformation: 19:42–20:45
• Afterward Reflections & Lessons: 22:15–29:45

---

Final Reflection

The story of the Willis brothers is a vivid account of human vulnerability, familial love, spiritual awakening, and inexplicable deliverance. Whether interpreted as divine intervention or extraordinary luck, the episode is a testament to the power of faith and the mysterious ways that hope, mercy, and purpose can appear even in life’s darkest, most desperate hours.

---

Notable Call to Action:

• Listeners are invited to share their own miracle stories with The Miracle Files, reinforcing the ongoing search for uplifting testimonies.
• Lesson underscored: Always act quickly on safety promptings—wear your life jacket!

---

For more miracle stories, subscribe to The Miracle Files—new episodes release every Monday.

Transcript

[Holly Worthington]

This episode is brought to you by BonCharge. Visit BonCharge.com using promo code Miracle to show your support.

[Kyle Willis]

We fished for about an hour or so and the waves just continued to get worse and worse. As the hour went on, we decided this was not worth it. Let's turn around and go inshore.

[Emily Jones]

The three brothers began packing up and turning the boat towards shore.

[Kyle Willis]

And not 30 seconds later, everything changed.

[Emily Jones]

There was no warning. A huge wave coming from the side violently slammed into their boat. A rogue wave. Before Kyle could even take a breath, his body was hurled into the deep, churning ocean. His ears filled with muffled sounds as he clawed at the water, desperate to reach the surface. 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 have a great story for you today. And if you remember our Mystery boat episode, if you love that one, you're gonna love this one too. Yeah, yeah.

[Emily Jones]

This is another story where you can just practically feel something swimming under your feet as you listen to it. It's really good.

[Holly Worthington]

Yeah, kind of a scary thought. So, yeah, enjoy. And we can't wait to discuss this one afterwards.

[Emily Jones]

At first to Kyle Willis, nothing about the morning felt foreboding. That's how so many of these stories begin. Not with danger, not with fear, but with something ordinary. It was November 25, 2007, the Sunday after Thanksgiving. Kyle headed out for a day of deep sea fishing with his twin brother Kevin and their older brother Michael, who captained an 18 foot sea cat. The sky was mostly clear and though the water held a restless edge, the two foot waves didn't feel like a warning of things to come.

[Kyle Willis]

The fishing trip was something we did often whenever we were in town from college. And we went out about 6am off the coast of Boynton Beach, Florida, which is in South Florida on the Atlantic side. And typical morning, we went out to get our baits and, and from there we went out about four miles off the coast. Typically, that's where about 600ft of water hits. So that kind of depth is where we found usual success in fishing. Right along the weed line. They're about four miles off the coast.

[Emily Jones]

Their older brother Brian was also supposed to go out with them that day, but he'd been Called into work. And Michael's wife at the time, Amy, had also decided not to go at the last minute. She was seven months pregnant and wasn't feeling up to it. On this particular morning, the three brothers were still happy to be out there, enjoying each other's company. They fished, they waited, they adjusted lines. But after a while, it became clear. The ocean wasn't cooperating. The bites weren't coming. Though the forecast had promised calm, the water slowly began to change. The shift happened so gradually, it was hard to notice at first.

[Kyle Willis]

And so we fished for about an hour or so, and the waves just continued to get worse and worse. As the hour went on, the three

[Emily Jones]

brothers hoped the waves would settle, but they didn't. Instead, they grew higher, rougher, more aggressive. With each passing minute, the boat began to rise and fall more sharply. Its movement's less predictable now and then.

[Kyle Willis]

My twin brother was getting seasick. He had actually been so sick that he was throwing up overboard. So we decided this was not worth it. Let's go ahead and pack everything up and turn around and go inshore.

[Emily Jones]

It was a simple, logical choice, the kind that should have ended the story before it ever had the chance to begin. But you know what they say. Even the best laid plans can go wrong. The three brothers began packing up, securing gear, and turning the boat toward shore.

[Kyle Willis]

And not 30 seconds later, everything changed.

[Emily Jones]

There was no warning, no time to react. One moment they were heading back toward shore, cresting over a wave. The next, a huge second wave coming from the side, violently slammed into their boat. A rogue wave. Before Kyle could even take a breath, his body was hurled into the deep, churning ocean. His ears filled with muffled sounds as he clawed at the water, desperate to reach the surface. When he finally broke through, he took in a gulp of air. But there was no time to recover. As he bobbed in the swell, his thoughts turned immediately to his brothers. He spun, scanning the water, heart pounding. For a moment, there was nothing but waves. And then relief washed over him. There they were, both Michael and Kevin. But what about the boat?

[Kyle Willis]

And we thought when we popped up out of the water, the boat had capsized. But as we got our bearings together, we realized the boat had not capsized.

[Emily Jones]

Worse than capsizing, the boat had thrown them overboard, then uprighted and was now disappearing into the distance.

[Kyle Willis]

And unfortunately, the boat was still full throttle, and it was moving away from us in a fast way.

[Emily Jones]

Kyle felt the raw panic of seeing his only means of safety vanish into the horizon. There was no possible way to catch it. He looked around at his Brothers like Kyle, they had no life jackets on because they had all been actively fishing and moving around in the boat, and the jackets were stored below. In fact, just before they were thrown overboard, Kyle had mentioned grabbing the life jackets. The thought had come only seconds too late. Now the boat was gone, and the three brothers were alone in open water four miles offshore and caught in a current that was dragging them even farther out to sea. No one knew of their predicament, and they weren't expected home for hours. Together, the brothers made some quick decisions.

[Kyle Willis]

I mean, it was a strong current, and we decided we were going to stick together rather than separating and trying to see if we could find help. And we decided to get as much weight off of us. So we got our shoes and most of our clothes off. We had tore up our shirts in the water, trying to figure if somebody might come by, we could try to flag them down in some way.

[Emily Jones]

Their first instinct was to try to swim. They strained against the current, but instantly realized the attempt was futile.

[Kyle Willis]

We tried to swim a little bit, and within 30 seconds, just completely exhausted. Fighting the current, but also the waves.

[Emily Jones]

Kyle's twin, Kevin, was in especially bad shape. Already drained from seasickness, he struggled to keep himself afloat. As Kyle battled the waves, he did everything he could to lift Kevin just enough to keep his head above the surface. During the too, every minute in the water was work. Every breath had to be managed. Every movement had to be measured. Slowly, steadily, Kevin regained enough strength to keep himself from sinking. The three brothers tried to float on their backs whenever possible in order to conserve energy. But the sea would not allow even that small mercy for long. The swells had become so rough that each time the brothers tried to rest, waves broke over their faces and filled their mouths and throats with salt water.

[Kyle Willis]

And that was probably the worst part, just because then you'd have to pop up and continue treading water. Thankfully, we were all really good swimmers. But out with no life jackets, treading water, it was hard.

[Emily Jones]

Michael, the oldest brother, became the voice of hope in the water.

[Kyle Willis]

My oldest brother Michael said, hey, we're going to be fine. We're going to drift in inward to shore. Even though he knew that we weren't drifting towards shore, I think it was more of him trying to keep us positive.

[Holly Worthington]

Hey, guys, we just have to interrupt for a minute to tell you about our bon charge red light face masks. I'm wearing mine as we are speaking,

[Emily Jones]

and you look so good.

[Holly Worthington]

I feel so sexy.

[Emily Jones]

But seriously, red light therapy is so good for your skin. And the thing I love about it the most is it's so simple to use. Like, you just pull out your face mask, hit the on button. It sets a timer for you for 10 minutes.

[Holly Worthington]

It goes off automatically. Like, it's so simple.

[Emily Jones]

There's like no mud that you have to let dry on your face. There's no, like washing it off afterwards. It's very, very easy.

[Holly Worthington]

Yeah, I've been wearing it like three to four times a week and I love the way it just makes me feel. I love red light therapy, period. Yeah. So order the Bon Charge red light face mask today and start seeing the amazing skincare benefits. Trust us, it is so good for a limited time. Our listeners get 15 off when you order from boncharge.com and use our exclusive promo code Miracle at checkout.

[Emily Jones]

That's B O-N-C-H-A-R-G-E.com. you'll also get free shipping and a 12 month warranty. So go now, get this exclusive exclusive offer from boncharge.com with promo code MIRACLE. The brothers were now about two hours into the ordeal and their situation was becoming worse by the minute. They were growing tired, losing strength. Just then, the three brothers saw something that made their hearts leap. Two helicopters hovering in the distance. Maybe, just maybe, someone had found their boat and help was on its way. But even if that were the case, they knew the odds of anyone finding them in the immense ocean were impossibly slim, like trying to find a single grain of sand on an endless beach. Still, as they battled the waves, they held onto hope. They kept their anxious eyes on the distant helicopters. After about 30 minutes, Kyle noticed that one of the helicopters seemed to be getting closer and closer. It flew straight toward them. It was near enough now that the pilot had to see them. This was it. This was their chance for rescue. Kyle and his brothers waved their torn shirts and shouted with everything they had left.

[Kyle Willis]

They came within. It felt, felt like 100 yards from us. And we were waving and screaming and they passed right over us. And then they kind of came around and we were at that moment thought they found us.

[Emily Jones]

But something was wrong. The helicopter swooped low, then passed by them, then left, gone. It was like a bullet of acid hit all three men's stomachs at once. And that's when reality really started to sink in.

[Kyle Willis]

They couldn't see us, we were so small in the water. And the waves had just gotten worse, about six feet or so at that time.

[Emily Jones]

Up until then, there had been hope. The sense that rescue was Possible and perhaps even close. But watching the Coast Guard come that near and still miss them forced a terrible realization to crash over them like. Like the raging sea around them. Rescue might be impossible. It might not come at all. Fear hung over Kyle and his brothers like a dark shadow. None of the three brothers wanted to make the others more afraid than they already were. So outwardly, they kept speaking in steady, hopeful tones, but inwardly, something deeper had begun. And that was the moment Kyle turned, turned to God.

[Kyle Willis]

I think eternally we were all feeling that fear. And I mean, we're such a small speck in the water at this point. So that was, I think, the moment panic began to set in and deep sense of prayer and crying out to

[Emily Jones]

the Lord, treading water there in the ocean, the bottomless feeling beneath his feet, the overwhelming vastness threatening to swallow him and his brothers whole. Kyle knew he was nothing without God. The relentless waves stripped away any illusion of control. And in his helpless state, Cail was no longer speaking about God from a distance. He was calling on him, not out loud, but from deep in Kyle's soul, asking God to be near and to help Kyle and his brothers in a way they had never, never needed before. Facing an uncertain future and possibly even death, Caio laid his soul bare before the Lord.

[Kyle Willis]

It was just recognizing my own sin, I think, was a huge piece of that. Like really understanding the depth of my sin and what I needed in order to be right before him.

[Emily Jones]

Three and a half hours had now passed since Kyle and his brothers were thrown into the ocean. Even though this was Florida, the late November water was cold enough to completely drain their energy, leaving their bodies heavy, shivering and exhausted, Kyle continued to plead with God as they drifted, no one speaking. The only sound came from the roar of the crashing waves around them. Then, breaking through the monotony, came a new sound. Faint at first, a distant, familiar chopping sound. It grew steadily louder, and Kyle's heart raced as he saw a helicopter flying through the sky toward them. Once again, the brothers yelled and waved their shirts, doing everything to be seen. For a moment, it felt like rescue was finally within reach. But just as before, the helicopter passed overhead, leaving as quickly as it had arrived. Still, Kyle kept praying. Then, unexpectedly, the helicopter turned. It circled back towards them. The brothers looked pleadingly at the square sky, their faces filled with urgency and hope. This time felt different. This time felt like an answer to prayer. The helicopter slowed as it approached, flying lower and closer, until at last, it hovered directly above them.

[Kyle Willis]

We didn't think they saw us, but they did Circle back. And they did, in fact, find us. It was the U.S. coast Guard. And they jumped out of the helicopter. One of the gentlemen swam with us, made sure that we were all okay. They called in for a sheriff's boat to come pick us up. So that sheriff's boat arrived about 30 minutes later, and we just swam with this coast guard. And then we got on the boat, and even that boat, which was a much larger sheriff's boat, that was getting rocked around quite a bit.

[Emily Jones]

Finally, the three brothers were taken to the shore. When they made it back, they were not only met by medical personnel and news cameras, but by their families, who had spent hours not knowing whether they were alive or dead. Kyle, Kevin, and Michael were checked, medically, given fluids, warmed up, and released soon afterward. They were sunburned, shaken, and cold in a way they had not expected cold to feel in South Florida waters. But they were alive. Their gratitude was overwhelming. But there was still something Kyle and his brothers didn't know. And this is why Kyle still speaks of that day with the kind of awe reserved for things that defy explanation.

[Kyle Willis]

What we found out was the boat actually had gone perfectly straight into shore. Nobody steering could have gone out to sea and ran out of fuel down to Cuba. I mean, it could have gone anywhere, but it had gone perfectly straight into shore where it crashed from four miles out. And it was somebody else out on the water who had just been a little bit closer to shore when he saw this boat full of fishing gear and nobody driving it. And he was the one that alerted the authorities.

[Emily Jones]

Kyle and his brothers couldn't believe it. Almost like Glassy the dog, their boat had motored straight into the shore as if to get them help. The brothers knew it was more than luck. It was more than a boat running ashore. The brothers knew it was divine intervention. And as they thought about the miracle they'd experienced, the timing of everything felt impossible to dismiss. Too many precise things aligned at exactly the right moment. As soon as the authorities were alerted, the they contacted Michael's wife, Amy. Amy and Michael had previously gone fishing together many times, returning to their favorite spot without fail.

[Kyle Willis]

She was actually supposed to be with us that day, but she was not feeling well, so she decided to stay home, which we look back, was a miracle because she knew where we fished. She was able to tell the authorities, and that helped them in that search process.

[Emily Jones]

Had Amy gone with the brothers that day as planned, no one would have had a clue where to look for them. And not only that, imagine if Amy had gone treading water for three and a half hours had already pushed three healthy men to their limits. For someone seven months pregnant, the outcome could have been very different. And that was only part of the miracle, because the boat had gone straight to the shore and was discovered so quickly. Helicopters were deployed while there was still daylight. And after missing the brothers once, the Coast Guard came back and found them in a sea vast enough to hide them forever. Kaya later found out that when the authorities had called his twin brother's family, they had immediately contacted Oral Roberts University

[Kyle Willis]

in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and they had a prayer hotline. And so one of the first things they did was call and have a team of people praying for. For us.

[Emily Jones]

So many prayers had led up to this rescue. But for Kyle, the miracle was not only that he survived. It was what had happened to him while he had been waiting to be found out there in the deep, turbulent sea.

[Kyle Willis]

What happened in that water, for me personally, was even more significant. I had been in a season of deep discipleship at my church with our pastor, our associate pastor. He had been pouring into my life in a really special way. In some weeks, we would be together seven days a week, just doing life together, discipleship, Bible study. And I would say. Would have said I was a Christian at that moment. I think from my lips, I would have said that. But it was in the water that went from my lips to my heart to truly surrender my life to him. And that was a transforming day for me. And out of that, committed my life and service to him in ministry. And so now, almost 18 years later, I've been serving with Wycliffe Bible translators, and, yeah, it's been amazing.

[Emily Jones]

God was not finished with Kyle that day.

[Kyle Willis]

He had a greater purpose for me in my life, to serve him, to glorify him. And what I would do following. Following that accident.

[Emily Jones]

And God wasn't finished with his brothers either, because the rescue didn't only spare their lives, it changed them. It strengthened their bond as brothers. It deepened their faith. It turned a fishing trip into a testimony none of them could have imagined. And this is the part Kyle never gets over. Not just that they survived, but that mercy seemed to move toward them from every direction at once. Through timing, through people, through prayer, through the unexplainable path of an empty boat cutting straight toward land. And in the middle of the waves, when fear was deepest and hope was smallest, that mercy became personal. Because the greatest miracle for Kyle that day was not simply that his body was rescued from the sea. It was that in a moment of utter helplessness, his Soul was rescued too.

[SpinQuest Announcer]

Happy birthday, America. It's time to celebrate and play your favorite Las Vegas casino games by American owned spinquest.com what's better than fireworks and American pie Hitting a black tech in the palm of your hand. And you won't lose your fingers. Over a thousand games, including slots and live dealers and $30 coin packs are on sale for 10, so spinquest.com buy American players.

[Kyle Willis]

For American players, Spin Quest is a free to play social casino boy where prohibited. Visit spinquest.com for more details.

[Holly Worthington]

Wow. Such an amazing miracle story in so many ways.

[Emily Jones]

I agree.

[Holly Worthington]

And I feel like they need to name this boat Lassie after this.

[Emily Jones]

I think that's pretty fitting.

[Holly Worthington]

I absolutely think so too. And if kids don't know who Lassie is, long ago, I think it was like our parents generation. I used to watch reruns of it, but it was a TV show about this that would always save the day.

[Emily Jones]

Go get help. Yeah.

[Holly Worthington]

Timmy's in the well, Lassie. Lassie would be like, ruff and go get Timmy.

[Emily Jones]

But it is very fitting because they would always send Lassie out to go get help. And that's exactly what this boat did.

[Holly Worthington]

This little boat did. Yeah.

[Emily Jones]

It's incredible. Like, you think about if the angle had just changed even slightly from four miles out, who knows where this boat would have gone? Who knows how this would have ended?

[Holly Worthington]

So true.

[Emily Jones]

But something else interesting we didn't mention in the story is that when this boat shows up on shore without anybody on it, and it's very unusual, at first they didn't know what to think other than maybe this is a crime scene.

[Holly Worthington]

Yeah. We actually have a sound bite from Kyle about that. So let's play that.

[Emily Jones]

Okay.

[Kyle Willis]

We later found out that when they found it, they treated it as a potential homicide case. So they didn't want to enter the boat and move anything around before they could find out what was going on. So they did finally enter the boat. They found our cell phones, probably flip phones, back in 2007, and called our family members and called my mom first and said, hey, we found your son's boat. Everybody's missing. And that's all they told my mom. Three of our four boys were missing.

[Holly Worthington]

Oh, I can't even imagine a phone call like that. And I'm so relieved for this mother that she didn't have to lose her boys.

[Emily Jones]

I know. I have four kids, too, and I cannot imagine losing three of them. It would be so tragic.

[Holly Worthington]

So, so awful.

[Emily Jones]

And yet, because of God's mercy, they were actually able to turn this into something really positive for their family. Kyle said they're all a lot closer now than they were before this experience. And, I mean, it completely changed the trajectory of his life. Dedicated his life to God. Yeah.

[Holly Worthington]

And if you don't know what Wycliffe Bible Translators is, it's an organization that translates the Bible into languages that don't yet have access to it. So here's Kyle talking about it.

[Kyle Willis]

Our founder was in Guatemala as a Spanish Bible salesman, and he quickly realized the people didn't speak Spanish. And it was one gentleman from that community that said, if your God is so great, why doesn't he speak our language? And that totally rocked him. Had no idea the scale of how many languages there were in the world and little to no access to God's word. And so our founder went on to actually translate this Bible. It was the Ketchikal Bible in Guatemala, and then later after that, found it Wycliffe. And there's over 7,000 languages in the world today, and there's still thousands that don't have the full counsel of God's Word. And so if you don't have a Bible in your own language, a language that you think and you dream and you pray and it's hard to fully understand it and then fully see that transformation.

[Emily Jones]

Wow. That is crazy. I didn't even know there were that many languages.

[Holly Worthington]

I didn't either.

[Emily Jones]

And what a cool mission to be able to bring the Bible to all of these people who would never be able to read it otherwise.

[Holly Worthington]

Yeah.

[Emily Jones]

And you think about it like, Kyle may not have even gone into this career path if it hadn't have been for that day in the water.

[Holly Worthington]

It's true.

[Emily Jones]

It's just amazing how God works. Yeah.

[Holly Worthington]

And let's talk about what happened in the water that day, because, first of all, I'm so glad Amy didn't go into that water with those guys.

[Emily Jones]

I know. You think about her morning. She wakes up sick. She was probably super disappointed that she couldn't go. She had to miss out on all the fun. But if she had gone, oh, my goodness, like, I've gone swimming when I was pregnant. It is not as easy.

[Holly Worthington]

Oh, yeah, no.

[Emily Jones]

Like, imagine treading water and somebody hands you a bowling ball.

[Holly Worthington]

Like, yeah, seriously, it's so hard.

[Emily Jones]

It would not. I don't know. It would not have turned out well.

[Holly Worthington]

Yeah. And I was thinking about that, and I thought, you know, we can kind of all learn from that, because how many times do you have your day planned out or your life Planned out.

[Emily Jones]

Yeah.

[Holly Worthington]

And then God has a different idea of how things should go or things just don't go the way you think they should go. And pretty soon you look back at it. Sometimes it takes a few years, and

[Emily Jones]

you can see why.

[Holly Worthington]

But in hindsight.

[Emily Jones]

Yeah.

[Holly Worthington]

You can see God's plan all along and see how he guided you and helped you the whole time.

[Emily Jones]

Right. And, like, think about these brothers. They're, like, out in the water probably thinking, like, why? Why is this happening? Why would God allow this to happen? And yet they received this amazing miracle. I mean, the fact that these helicopters found them with this choppy water. There were all these white caps.

[Holly Worthington]

Yeah.

[Emily Jones]

It's not like it was a day.

[Holly Worthington]

Yeah. And Kyle even mentioned that it was a blessing that he happened to have a bright red shirt on.

[Emily Jones]

Yeah.

[Holly Worthington]

That day.

[Emily Jones]

Yeah. You think about, like, a gray shirt or brown.

[Holly Worthington]

Yeah. And you combine all of that with the boat.

[Emily Jones]

Right.

[Holly Worthington]

And when you just look at all of it together, it's impossible to not see this as a miracle.

[Emily Jones]

Absolutely. A miracle. You know, I have gone deep sea fishing one time, and there's a reason I went. One time, we were in the Dominican Republic and we went deep sea fishing. And they called us the day before and said, hey, we need to cancel and postpone till later in the week. The waves are too big. And we're like, okay, well, our only available day is tomorrow. And they thought about it for a minute and they're like, okay, we could do that. Well, I didn't realize that no one was supposed to go out the next day, but they didn't want to lose their money. They knew it was then or not. Never.

[Holly Worthington]

Yeah.

[Emily Jones]

And they didn't tell us that. So they took us out deep sea fishing. Oh, my goodness. These waves were massive. And everyone in the boat was throwing up, and it was just so terrifying. And we were just like, take us back. This is awful. We get back and they're like, oh, hey, somebody. Somebody died here. Their boat capsized yesterday right there in that same dock.

[Kyle Willis]

Man.

[Emily Jones]

They're like, yeah. Body washed up yesterday. Boat just, like, capsized.

[Holly Worthington]

And we're like, oh, that's horrible.

[Emily Jones]

Oh, my gosh. It was so tragic. But experiencing what it feels like to be among those massive waves.

[Holly Worthington]

Yeah.

[Emily Jones]

I don't know how they swam through that, especially without life jackets.

[Holly Worthington]

Yeah.

[Emily Jones]

Three and a half.

[Holly Worthington]

I don't either. Yes. And by the way, Emily, you could have been on the miracle file, so don't do that again.

[Emily Jones]

I'll try not to. I don't want to be on the miracle files. No, no offense to us.

[Holly Worthington]

I mean, the miracles are amazing and people are always grateful for what they go through. But yeah, let's try to avoid situations like that if we can. Anyway, but I also wanted to say that there are lessons in every one of our stories for people to learn and I hope our listeners are listening for those. Because for example, in this story, I think there's a clear lesson, Wear your life jacket.

[Emily Jones]

Wear your life jacket.

[Holly Worthington]

So so.

[Emily Jones]

And it's so interesting that Kyle mentioned that right before their boat capsized he had this thought, we need to get our life jackets. And then he just waited. And it's like, if you get those

[Holly Worthington]

promptings from the Holy Spirit feelings, act fast.

[Emily Jones]

Act on it.

[Holly Worthington]

Yeah. Yep, it's true. Well, thank you everyone for listening today and thank you so much to our listeners who have reached out to us through social media or email. Don't hesitate to reach out to us because we love it. We love getting to meet you and as always, please leave us a review if you you'd be so kind and make sure to share this podcast with your friends and family and have a wonderful week. 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.

[Emily Jones]

Yes, so don't forget Miracle Mondays. Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform and YouTube for amazing video content as well.

[Holly Worthington]

Well, 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.

[SpinQuest Announcer]

Hanging out at the pool is great. Relaxing and playing Vegas style games on my phone at the same time. Drink in one hand and a blackjack in the other. It's all at Spinquest. Over a thousand games including your favorite slots and table games. Be cool with this summer special. New players get 30 coin packs for

[Kyle Willis]

[e-mail] SpinQuest is a free to play social casino Boyd where prohibited. Visit spinquest.com for more details.

[Emily Jones]

Do you feel like you keep picking the same terrible relationship partner over and over and over? There are reasons for it. Scientific reasons and Dr. Hensley from the Love Dog Podcast can tell you exactly why. I came across your podcast and binged for three days every episode. It was the biggest aha moment I've had in my life. It gave me the only answers I really needed. Thank you so much. I'm Dr. Sarah Hensley and if you're interested in making profound changes in your relationship, download my podcast, the Love Doc podcast which drops every [e-mail].