Little Girl Almost Drowns in a Pool, Says She Saw 'Heaven' and a 'Man in White' When She Wakes Up

A little girl went swimming at the park with her family one typical Saturday, not knowing she was about to have an experience she would never forget. She died and saw things that convinced her she was in heaven before she returned to life.

Death is a conclusive experience because it can only happen once to a human; however, now and then, some people are lucky enough to cheat death and live to tell the tale.

That was precisely what happened with nine-year-old Annie Powell in 2018 when she drowned in a swimming pool while visiting the park with her family. She did not remember much of what happened, but what she recalled stunned everyone.

THE DROWNING

Annie's father, Dave, was facing the pool when he noticed that a man carrying a young girl was exiting the water and the girl's body looked to be drooping as though she was unconscious.

The man called for help, and Dave watched as a lifeguard swung into action, but as he began CPR, Dave and his wife, Cathy, realized that the little girl was their daughter Annie. As the lifeguard did his best to resuscitate her, Cathy noticed her daughter had gone blue from her chest up.

Annie's eyes had also rolled back in her head; according to Cathy, she looked dead to the world. It was a terrible thing to see, but there was little either parent could do but pray that their little girl would be returned to them. Dave said:

"I was at her feet and just praying that the CPR would work. But just praying that she would come back to life."

THE FIGHT FOR HER LIFE

An ambulance arrived moments later, and the crew gave Annie oxygen before rushing her to a hospital close to the park. It was a two-minute drive.

When the worried parents arrived, the doctors told them their daughter was stabilized but that her overall situation was very critical. She had suffered cardiac arrest and respiratory failure.

In an unconscious state, she was airlifted to J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital, a level one trauma center located in Morgantown, West Virginia, where she could receive specialized care. Annie's father said:

"I was really concerned about her. And I think that's when it really started to click, you know, that she's not perfectly okay, even though she is breathing. And I was wondering what is going on there? And if she would ever be the same."

As they headed to the hospital, Dave and Cathy continued to pray for their daughter. They also called friends and members of their congregation to aid them with prayers. After the chopper arrived at the trauma center, doctors told Dave and Cathy that the next few days were crucial.

AN ARMY OF PRAYER WARRIORS

At the hospital, Annie was put in a medically induced coma. Her blood and oxygen levels were very low, and doctors told Dave and Kathy that the extended time she spent without oxygen may have dealt irreversible damage to some of her vital organs, including the heart and brain, even if she survived.

It was discouraging news, but the parents chose not to give up hope. Cathy recalled that she looked like a character out of a robot movie with all the wires sticking out of her, and she also had a tracheostomy tube.

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The feeling of helplessness never left Cathy and her husband as they waited for good news. Still, thankfully they took some measure of comfort from the dozens of people who filtered into the hospital waiting room praying for a miracle.

They prayed for mercy for their daughter and wisdom for the doctors working on her so everything could work out in their favor and return to normal.

The following day, Dave and Cathy, together with members of their home church, held a special prayer session for their child. It renewed their hopes.

"And they were saying, 'Rise, Annie; Rise, Annie,' and that touched my heart. And from that point on, I knew in my heart that she would be okay," Cathy recalled. The prayer session stretched through the day into the night, and the following day they received good news.

THE THINGS SHE SAW

When Dave and Cathy arrived at the hospital that Monday morning, they were told Annie's oxygen and blood levels had improved.

The progress continued over the next two days, and on Wednesday afternoon, doctors revived Annie. When she opened her eyes, they asked her to move her fingers, trying to ascertain if she was responsive and could move.

Cathy said about the moment: "The doctor was leaning down like this, and Annie thrust her fist in her face, and the doctor said, 'She's gonna be okay, Cathy.' I knew my feisty Annie was back."

Annie could not remember much of what had transpired, but she recalled going to heaven because she passed away during that helicopter ride and had to be resuscitated.

She said she saw brilliantly colored butterflies and confessed that the colors on them were unlike any she had ever seen. The little girl also mentioned that she felt very loved and that someone was helping her in the pool. Annie recalled:

"There was a man in white who was helping me in the pool, and I think maybe it was Jesus or maybe an angel."

Five days after the incident, Annie was discharged from the hospital without any side effects, and she returned to school as if nothing had happened. Since the incident, she and her parents have been telling anyone who will listen that nothing is impossible when you trust God.