Dr. Mary Neal, an experienced kayaker and spinal surgeon, nearly lost her life while kayaking in Chile. After being swept over a waterfall, she was trapped under 8–10 feet of water. Despite the danger, she remained calm and prayed, asking God for His will to be done.

In that moment, Mary described feeling physically held and comforted. “I was being held by Christ,” she told CBN News, adding it took her years to say that aloud. She recalled being surrounded by people who had loved her “as long as I have existed.”

Mary said there was no moment she felt dead. “I was conscious, then more conscious. Alive, then more alive.” She experienced a life review, seeing past events not just from her own perspective, but also through the eyes of others involved.

Describing heaven, Mary saw colors like the Northern Lights and a radiant, domed structure built from “fibers of love.” Though it was beautiful beyond words, her guides told her it wasn’t her time—sending her back forever changed.